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#MaineMonitor

state claims it was unaware
Lawyers ineligible to handle serious criminal charges were given thousands of these cases anyway
Sun, 02/28/2021 - 11:00am

Soon after receiving his license to practice law in Maine in May 2015, Jeremiah McIntosh, 36, began a new career as a small-town lawyer in the northeast corner of Aroostook County. McIntosh advertised online that he had spent almost a dozen years working as a civilian employee for the Defense Department. Now, he quickly fell back into life in his hometown. He volunteered for the town planning board, helped the library register as a nonprofit and opened a rural law office in the small, close-...
Without change to reimbursement method, providers fear they can’t afford to continue
As more people enroll in MaineCare, they may face fewer options for care
Sat, 02/27/2021 - 1:30pm

Health facilities have expressed concern that they won’t be able to maintain quality medical care for the state’s lowest-income residents without an increase in the amount of money they receive from the state. The problem has magnified over the last year. More people enrolled in MaineCare amid the pandemic, raising questions about the sustainability of the program tasked with ensuring the most vulnerable people have access to healthcare, including those with low incomes and those who are...
Scientists oppose tax credit that could boost Maine’s wood heat industry
Fri, 02/26/2021 - 12:30pm

After more than a decade of lobbying and negotiations at the federal level, December’s pandemic stimulus bill included a federal tax credit for the renewable wood heat industry. The tax credit offers residential buyers 26 percent off new high-efficiency wood boilers but does not apply to commercial customers, reported David Thill of the Energy News Network . The credit will decrease to 22 percent in 2022 before expiring in 2024. This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor ....
Maine’s largest private electricity supplier renews legal battle over its deceptive practices
Sun, 02/21/2021 - 9:15am

Maine’s largest electricity reseller wants to pony up a $500,000 fine. The state’s utility regulator suggested pulling the plug. A report last year recommended revoking the license of Electricity Maine, the state’s largest independent electricity supplier, amid a raft of complaints about a deceptive door-to-door sales campaign. This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor . The Maine Monitor, formerly known as Pine Tree Watch, is a local journalism product published by...
For more stable future, every level of government must move quickly to reduce emissions
Acting soon to cut carbon emissions will yield high paybacks
Sat, 02/13/2021 - 11:15am

It was a strange scene to encounter on a January night in Maine, sitting in my car among more than 100 other parked vehicles, all populated but dark, at a drive-in town meeting. Townspeople had gathered, following COVID safety protocol, to consider a contract to upgrade the energy efficiency of municipal buildings. Administrators worked their way painstakingly through five articles, including a resolution supporting the state’s new Climate Action Plan , inviting questions and comments on each...
age-old concept may be what Maine needs for agricultural growth
Agroforestry could give Maine path to ecological, economic promise
Sat, 01/30/2021 - 7:30pm

Agroforestry, an age-old concept, could provide a path to Maine’s future. Part of the regenerative agriculture movement, it involves an integrated approach to cultivating trees with crops and – sometimes – livestock. These diversified farm systems nourish soil health and wildlife while offering more resilience in a warming world — locking up atmospheric carbon, absorbing floodwaters, and sheltering crops and animals from high winds and extreme heat. “Diversity is really key to sustainability...
Waldo County official ‘frustrated’ emergency management agencies haven’t played larger role
Vaccinations ramp up in rural Maine, but limited doses cause uncertainty
Sun, 01/24/2021 - 2:00pm

Vaccination efforts across rural Maine to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic are going as well as could be expected, according to emergency management officials in eight northern counties, but plans for future phases remain fuzzy. And at least one official is frustrated because emergency management agencies, he feels, have been sidelined in the vaccination rollout. Nearly all eight directors of county emergency management agencies (EMA) told The Maine Monitor their primary concern was the limited...
opinion: Much to gain – or lose
To capture benefits of clean energy and forestall climate costs, Maine legislators should take rapid and bold action
Sat, 01/16/2021 - 1:30pm

The Maine Climate Council’s 15-month process preparing Maine Won’t Wait: A Four-year Plan for Climate Action was a refreshing affirmation of constructive, nonpartisan policymaking. Roughly 230 working group volunteers and many more citizens weighed in to craft strategies grounded in a thorough scientific assessment . The resulting plan clearly demonstrates that climate is, in the words of Council member Daniel Kleban, owner of Maine Beer Company, “not just an environmental problem” but a clear...
Shah: ‘matter of time’ before variant strain of COVID-19 is detected in Maine
Maine’s COVID-19 vaccination rate among highest per population in U.S.
Sun, 01/10/2021 - 8:30pm

More people in Maine now have been vaccinated for COVID-19 than have had the virus. About 46,600 Mainers were vaccinated as of Friday , according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents nearly 3.5 percent of the state’s population. At least 3,271 of those vaccinated have received their second dose. In comparison, 28,400 Mainers have had confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, as of Friday. More than 1,100 have been hospitalized and 426 have died. This story...
state Budget Breakdown
Public defense initiatives miss governor’s biennium budget
Sun, 01/03/2021 - 11:15am

Governor Janet Mills is expected not to include money to open the state’s first public defender office, increase staff oversight of defense spending or raise wages for court-appointed attorneys in the next biennium budget, according to records released on Friday, Dec. 18. A $35.4 million budget proposal by the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services, or MCILS, submitted in October outlined the first major investment in public defense since the agency opened in 2010 . A meeting agenda...
Members stunned to learn existing rules for protective custody cases not enforced for nearly a decade
Maine’s public defense agency acknowledges it didn’t enforce rules on attorney qualifications
Thu, 12/31/2020 - 11:00am

Maine did not enforce rules mandating the minimum level of experience attorneys must have before representing parents at risk of losing custody of their children, the state’s public defense agency admitted on Monday, Dec. 21. Discussion of a proposal that would make sweeping changes to attorney qualifications took a sudden turn when deputy director Eleanor Maciag announced the protective custody section of the rules had not yet been implemented and were not being enforced, despite being in...
GOP to look for ways to reassert legislative power while Democrats eye health care and climate change
State budget to take center stage during 2021 legislative session
Mon, 12/28/2020 - 10:00am

Amid a pandemic and an economic downturn, lawmakers will return to Augusta in January with a list of priorities that span topics such as healthcare, climate change and the power of the executive branch. And while Democrats and Republicans have different goals, they agree on two primary items – balancing the state’s budget, which has a $150 million deficit, and agreeing on a new two-year spending plan. This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor . The Maine Monitor,...
Q&A on COVID-19’s trajectory heading into 2021 with Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah
Fri, 12/25/2020 - 1:00pm

As COVID-19 cases continue surging in Maine and the first vaccination doses offer some hope, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke to health reporter Rose Lundy of The Maine Monitor to reflect on the state’s pandemic response, and outline challenges and opportunities in 2021. The Maine Monitor, formerly known as Pine Tree Watch, is a local journalism product published by The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonpartisan, nonprofit...
Vaccines arrive in Maine, but battle against COVID-19 remains far from over
Sun, 12/20/2020 - 11:00am

December has been a month of hope and concern, with COVID-19 vaccines deployed for the first time to hospitals across Maine but health officials warned that the state continues to battle “a surge on top of a surge.” Hospitals this week received the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine and began inoculating frontline workers. The first phase of vaccinations focuses on healthcare workers in intensive care units, emergency rooms and COVID-19 wings of hospitals. This story was originally published...
lack of up-to-date data hindering efforts to eliminate inequalities
Black-owned businesses lag behind white counterparts in Maine
Thu, 12/17/2020 - 5:15pm

Black Mainers are less likely to own a business than white residents, and those who do report earning substantially less money than white peers, according to publicly available data. While this is consistent with national trends , a lack of detailed, up-to-date statistics hampers deep, state-level analysis. Researchers and advocates say more information is needed to understand the situation in Maine — and take steps to reduce disparities. “The Census Bureau withholds a lot of the data for small...
Concerns continue as sea levels predicted to threaten nearly half of Maine’s beaches by 2050
Fri, 12/11/2020 - 6:30pm

A severe storm Monday night that resulted in over 100,000 power outages was followed by this winter’s first Nor’easter, which hit Maine on Saturday. The storms hammered Maine in the same week the Mills administration rolled out the state’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait , which outlines the need to address extreme storm and flooding events as a result of climate change. Portions of the report highlight worsening storm-surge flooding and coastal erosion in connection to rising sea levels...
Belfast aquaculture project puts intertidal ownership into question
Mon, 12/07/2020 - 6:15pm

The proposed $500 million Nordic Aquafarms aquaculture project scheduled for the Midcoast continues to face controversy over land rights associated with laying saltwater intake and wastewater discharge pipes from the proposed facility — through a privately owned portion of the Belfast intertidal zone — and out into Penobscot Bay. The debate over who owns the tidal rights to construct a 30-foot wide swath to lay pipes continues; legal challenges and permit approvals remain pending. Maine is one...
focused attention on group working to stimulate state’s economy; raised money to help businesses, families weather COVID-19
Online directory aims to help Black businesses thrive in nation’s whitest state
Sat, 12/05/2020 - 12:30pm

During the height of the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in May, Rose Barboza felt conflicted. She wanted to join the demonstrations but had a four-year-old at her Saco home and was concerned about catching or spreading the coronavirus. Instead, Barboza began to consider another way to fight — using her purchasing power. Online directories popped up nationally, spotlighting Black-owned businesses and educating people about how seeking out these businesses can help, at the local...
opinion: The tide is turning
Under Biden administration, Maine can expect more federal support to implement its new Climate Action Plan
Wed, 12/02/2020 - 12:30pm

Alongside the challenges of a raging pandemic, failing health care system , struggling economy and systemic racism, President-elect Joe Biden faces what he calls “ the battle to save the planet .” He has promised to “ marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope, ” demanding substantive climate action across the federal government . Tackling the climate crisis in a cohesive, interagency manner is precisely what the Maine Climate Action Plan recommends, harnessing the expertise of more...
Preparing for a cold, hungry winter
As temperatures drop and COVID-19 continues, demand for food and heat assistance to rise
Sun, 11/29/2020 - 11:30am

On a sunny September morning in Dover-Foxcroft, more than 50 cars stretched from the Piscataquis Regional Food Center three blocks down North Street an hour before a food distribution event was to begin. Parked along the shoulder, with their engines off and windows rolled down, people from all over Piscataquis County patiently waited to receive apples, oranges, potatoes, frozen meat and canned goods. Some would still be waiting two hours later, with more lining up behind them. Most who came...
Multiple reports this year have chronicled oversight problems at the agency
Maine begins search for new public defense director, approves rule changes
Thu, 11/26/2020 - 3:00pm

In the final six weeks of the year, Maine’s public defense agency is racing to meet multiple deadlines to overhaul its operations while also beginning a search for a new executive director. A “very lean” staff of three people will be expected to run the state agency after outgoing director John Pelletier leaves on Dec. 11. Pelletier resigned earlier this month after more than a decade at the helm of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services, or MCILS, amid mounting criticism of his...
opinion: how can a rural, aging and economically challenged state navigate a path to electrified transportation?
The drive toward vehicle electrification in Maine
Sat, 11/21/2020 - 11:30am

Only 1 percent of vehicles sold in Maine are electric, yet a few of those cars are already traveling the back roads and dirt driveways of Hancock and Washington counties. When the nonprofit agency Downeast Community Partners (DCP) delivers food, it’s likely to be in a battery-powered Chevy Bolt. As part of its mission to help “improve the quality of life and reduce the impact of poverty in Downeast communities,” DCP uses three all-electric Bolts, powered by solar energy and charged at publicly...
opinion: Driving seemed inescapable until it wasn’t
Maine needs to log fewer vehicle miles to meet state’s climate goals
Sat, 11/14/2020 - 2:30pm

Ask experts about cutting vehicular emissions — the largest source of Maine’s greenhouse gas pollution — and you’re apt to hear how complex the task is. Finding ways to equitably transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles, develop a modernized grid and broadband network, and combat sprawl do demand a daunting confluence of innovative policies, technology and — yes — money. Yet there’s a low-tech, inexpensive route to lowering vehicular emissions that works instantaneously: Drive less...
Watchdog: MCILS lacks established financial policies, strong oversight structure, adequate staffing to meet constitutional obligations
Ineffective financial oversight, missed obligations of Maine’s public defense agency detailed in new report
Tue, 11/10/2020 - 1:30pm

Maine’s public defense agency operated without clear leadership and with few written policies that caused a cascade of problems with its finances and oversight of attorneys for the state’s poorest defendants, a scathing report released Monday by the state’s oversight agency shows. The state Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, or OPEGA, found that weak oversight by Maine’s public defense system threatened its mandated purpose of ensuring “high quality representation to...
state must dramatically expand renewable power generation and transmission
Building a renewable future poses daunting task for Maine
Sun, 11/08/2020 - 11:00am

A protracted fight over the New England Clean Energy Connect plan to wheel 1,200 megawatts of hydropower from Quebec, through Maine and on to Massachusetts has dominated the airwaves for the last two years. But as the corridor — which will help the Bay State meet its clean energy goals — nears construction , Maine is facing pressure to build up in-state generation capacity in order to secure its own renewable future. Ambitious goals set by the Legislature in 2019 require Maine to “decarbonize”...
proposed opening Maine’s first two public defender offices, substantial pay raise for court-appointed counsel
Officials propose doubling budget for agency charged with defending Maine’s poor
Thu, 11/05/2020 - 11:00am

Officials are proposing to double the size of the budget set aside to provide the legal services needed to adequately defend the state’s poor who are accused of crimes. The $35.4 million proposal put forward by the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services, or MCILS, would establish the state’s first two public defender offices and provide a substantial raise to private attorneys paid to represent the poor. Members debated the large price tag before unanimously voting in support of the budget...
Follow the Money: Maine State Campaign Finance Tracker
Sat, 10/31/2020 - 9:45am

The below story and data was compiled by Maine Monitor. Maine Monitor is a local journalism product published by The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic news organization based in Augusta. Its public-facing website is themainemonitor.org . All data is sourced from the Maine Ethics Commission. Questions about the data can be directed to the author via email . It’s an even-numbered year, and in Maine that means...
Follow the Money: Maine Federal Campaign Finance Tracker
Sat, 10/31/2020 - 9:45am

Mainers are facing a historic congressional election season. In November, voters will decide whether to keep Sen. Susan Collins — the only Republican representing a New England state in Congress — in the office she has held since 1997. Record-breaking sums of money are pouring into the race from across the country, attempting to sway voters. Mainers in the 2nd Congressional District will also weigh in on whether first-term Rep. Jared Golden’s moderate voice in the Democratic caucus — following...
investigating campaign finance trends in this year’s state and federal races
How record sums of money have shaped Maine’s 2020 elections
Sun, 10/25/2020 - 8:00pm

Every day when she gets home from work, Sharon Houle is greeted by five or six pieces of oversized cardstock trying to convince her how to vote. She constantly changes the radio in her car to avoid political advertisements. She records most of her television shows so she can fast-forward through commercials. She’s overwhelmed, frustrated and confused by the messaging and amount of money spent to try to influence Maine voters. “Nothing in my mailbox is going to change my mind,” said Houle, 64,...
Fleeing to Maine from climate disasters
Maine’s climate plan must address growing number of people moving here in wake of catastrophes elsewhere
Sat, 10/17/2020 - 12:00pm

What do you do when the place you call home becomes unlivable? Tens of millions of Americans will face this wrenching choice over the coming decades as they contend with climate-fueled disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes , sea-level rise and unbearable heat. A recent New York Times/ProPublica report suggests that many uprooted Americans will likely move farther north . Judging from the influx of in-migrants since the coronavirus pandemic began, Maine may be a preferred destination. Climate...
Employment has surpassed pre-pandemic rates in Maine
Wed, 10/14/2020 - 8:00pm

After significant problems at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine’s overall employment situation has improved — and even surpassed January employment rates — according to the latest data from Track the Recovery . Track the Recovery’s numbers, however, are not seasonally adjusted to reflect the higher employment rates in Maine during summer months. Overall employment in August still was significantly lower than the same time last year, according to the state Department of Labor. ...
Maine’s climate plan needs to address storm preparedness disparities; better support vulnerable, least prepared communities
Stormy forecast: Preparing Maine for climate-fueled winds, flooding
Thu, 10/01/2020 - 4:00pm

We’re in one of the most active hurricane seasons ever recorded, with two months remaining. For only the second time, the 21 preselected names for storms ran out, leaving meteorologists to label the remainder using the Greek alphabet . Tropical cyclones typically dissipate before reaching New England, so the impacts from past storms can slide out of “generational memory,” said MIT scientist Kerry Emanuel . Hurricane Teddy did not make the “ rare, hard left turn toward Maine ” initially forecast...
Stepping out and helping out
Volunteers, including in Swanville and Nobleboro, have shined during pandemic
Tue, 09/29/2020 - 9:30am

Jennifer Gunderman’s hands moved quickly from bean to bean, snipping the long vegetable right at the top and dropping it into her five-gallon bucket. The former organic farmer turned University of New England public health professor made the short drive from Belfast to Swanville in early August, joining more than 15 other volunteers who wore wide brim hats to ward off the bright sun as they harvested yellow beans from the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center fields. In a normal year, inmates...
Council votes Sept. 30 on changing requirements for groundfish monitoring
Fishermen have mixed thoughts on increased groundfish monitoring
Sun, 09/27/2020 - 12:00pm

After returning home for a hot meal and quick snooze following three days alone at sea, Randy Cushman wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to begin the final steps of his fish and data processing in the sleepy, pine-lined fishing village of Port Clyde. Cushman took his first two-day groundfishing trip out of this harbor with his father when he was five years old. Now, over 40 years later, Cushman counts and prepares fish all morning with his wife — who is also his business partner — to get...
CMP, Avangrid spent dark money to drum up support for controversial power corridor
Sat, 09/26/2020 - 2:00pm

Central Maine Power Co. and its parent company funneled thousands of dollars through the Maine State Chamber of Commerce to tout a construction plan to bring Canadian hydropower to Massachusetts through western Maine — a project that’s expected to earn the utility $1.95 billion over the next 20 years. The financial ties between the utility and chamber were obscured by tax laws that do not require nonprofits like the chamber to disclose their funders. To continue reading this investigative...
Maine seeks ways to fund statewide energy overhaul, climate adaptation measures
Green bank could help Maine turn tide on fossil fuel dependency
Thu, 09/24/2020 - 7:45pm

Maine has New England’s most energy-intensive economy , expending roughly $6 billion annually – primarily on imported oil and gas for heating and transportation. Global warming could worsen the fiscal drain through a combination of rising costs and declining revenues . The state must overhaul its energy sector to reach its climate targets for 2050, which include cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent over 1990 levels and generating all of the state’s electricity from renewable sources...
sea change column: Small wood homes yield big climate benefits
Maine could get economic boost, provide needed housing by manufacturing compact, efficient homes
Fri, 09/18/2020 - 5:30pm

A single small home, lifted onto a foundation in Milbridge last month, could signal big housing changes ahead. Confronted with scant affordable housing and mandates to reduce carbon pollution, Maine needs to re-envision how home construction happens — from the constituent elements and the building process to the carbon emissions produced. A draft strategy proposed by the Maine Climate Council’s buildings, infrastructure and housing working group recommends “net-zero, renewable-ready new...
Drought conditions in Maine have led to over 900 wildfires this summer
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 1:30pm

Extended drought conditions amid an already busy wildfire and outdoor recreation season has state officials on high alert during the final few weeks of summer. As of Sept. 8, rangers have put out over 910 fires in 2020 — the most Maine has seen in 10 years, according to Jon Blackstone, a district forest ranger with the Maine Forest Service. That includes 120 blazes started from campfires not properly extinguished. Officials noticed a dramatic increase in first-time recreators this year, likely...
The preacher and the outbreak
For pastor and Islesboro church founder at center of East Millinocket wedding, sin is ‘a pandemic worse than the coronavirus’
Mon, 08/31/2020 - 9:15pm

As news broke about Calvary Baptist Church’s COVID-19 outbreak, Pastor Todd Bell shined his black shoes. Before the Sanford reverend spoke to his church, Bell took a picture of his polished wingtips and his leather-bound black Bible resting on the corner of his desk. This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor . The Maine Monitor, formerly known as Pine Tree Watch, is a local journalism product published by The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonpartisan...
sea change: The habitat of home
Insect researcher outlines how a collective effort among property owners could help restore ecological health
Sat, 08/22/2020 - 12:30pm

If you seek joy, invite a pair of hummingbirds into your life. Ruby-throated hummingbirds share our home ground, making surprise appearances throughout the summer. Turn on the garden hose and one may materialize out of nowhere – eager to dart in and out of the water droplets. This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor . The Maine Monitor, formerly known as Pine Tree Watch, is a local journalism product published by The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a...
Maine’s financial stability depends on further federal action
Funding is ‘scarce’ to stabilize Maine’s economy after pandemic
Tue, 08/18/2020 - 9:30am

A committee of Maine economic experts and industry representatives this month outlined a $1.1 billion plan to steady the state economy in July. The plan from the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee includes 11 focus areas based on insights from hundreds of Mainers, according to the report. The focus areas are grouped as follows: Maine people: $497 million Maine employers: $430 million Maine infrastructure: $165 million The largest allocations are $350 million for employer grants, $300...
Janet Mills proves she can rise above her critics – even the president
Maine’s governor born for hard times, and hard decisions
Sat, 08/15/2020 - 12:00pm

Janet Mills weighed the life-changing decision. A month before her 15th birthday, Janet, her parents and two of her siblings traveled in the family station wagon from their Farmington, Maine, home to the A. I. duPont Institute for Crippled Children in Wilmington, Delaware. Janet had scoliosis, a severe spine curvature. On that Nov. 12 day in 1962, the doctor at the nationally renowned hospital explained that without surgery, Janet’s condition would worsen and her spine would continue to curve...
four experts weigh in on the metrics that paint the clearest picture of the pandemic
Navigating number fatigue: How to understand COVID-19 in Maine
Thu, 08/13/2020 - 9:00pm

During the past five months of the coronavirus pandemic, Mainers and other Americans have been inundated with numbers. Confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita. Death rates. Test positivity rates. Hospitalization rates. Available ICU beds. There is a staggering number of ways to measure the pandemic. So what are the most important metrics now and moving forward? The Maine Monitor spoke with four public health experts about the figures they use to best understand COVID-19 — and the limitations of...
opinion: expect to see swings between soil-damaging rain events and more regular drought conditions
When it comes to weather, abnormal is the new normal
Sat, 07/25/2020 - 12:30pm

The words of University of Maine soil scientist Ivan Fernandez reveal a troubling truth. “Never again will we have the climate system of the 20th century,” wrote Fernandez, co-chair of the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, in a recent issue of Wild Seed magazine. On a rapidly warming planet, historical weather records no longer signal what the future will bring. Nearly three-fourths of Maine is now in a moderate drought with an additional 13 percent labeled “...
opinion
Maine ignored as federal-state relations reach new low
Sat, 07/11/2020 - 4:15pm

Federal-state relations have reached a new low. Previously, I discussed how the federal government has worn away the powers of one-time sovereign states. In reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration has treated the states almost as if they are foreign governments. The problem is rooted in the belief that political power in American government is found in the White House. Congress has ceded powers to the executive as states have faded. While it is unlikely the president will...
opinion
Maine system combined with shareholder-style voting could overcome false fraud fears, boost turnout
Sat, 07/04/2020 - 1:30pm

The biggest issue in the November elections may not be Trump or Biden. It could be about voting itself. Whether votes will be counted fairly is turning into a major national argument. A combination of Maine voting and corporate balloting provide a potential answer. The Republican Party has been remarkably open about its efforts to reduce the number of voters. Its leaders believe the GOP faithful will turn out while others may be discouraged by complex electoral rules or worries about going to...
opinion: ‘this would be the time to begin planning for the next emergency’
Better emergency planning requires legislative action
Sat, 06/27/2020 - 12:00pm

We couldn’t have been fully prepared for COVID-19. But the virus might have been less deadly — no matter how little science knew about it — if government had been better prepared for a major crisis. The worst events always seem to be a surprise. Legislators may cut spending on preparing for relatively rare events, but in the end it may cost more later, measured in both lives and dollars. In March, the Maine Legislature by voice vote gave Gov. Janet Mills broad emergency powers. Acting in haste...
More than 57,000 organizations and individuals formally opposed the petition
6,000 Maine solar projects in limbo amid uncertainty over federal decision on net metering petition
Thu, 06/25/2020 - 3:15pm

The fate of net metering in New England — and across the United States — remains unknown, but resistance to its erasure is mounting. More than 450 organizations, 57,000 individuals and 37 states submitted comments opposing a petition that could set a national precedent and end a billing practice that credits users for investing in solar. Twenty-two organizations and individuals filed support for the proposal. The public comment window ended on June 15. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (...
Tailpipe living: Maine depends on federal protections for clean air, and it’s fast losing them
Sat, 06/20/2020 - 1:45pm

Before getting new glasses this winter, I’d forgotten what it was like to see distant objects in sharp relief. The glasses improved my vision but far-off vistas remained hazy – until the pandemic shutdown unexpectedly paused pollution emissions, and the air suddenly cleared. The whole landscape came into focus in a way I couldn’t ever recall. Every tree line looked intricately etched – as if a watercolor wash had transformed into a detailed pen-and-ink. It wasn’t an optical illusion. Jeff...
opinion
Maine has opportunity to promote itself as an ideal ‘remote work state’
Sat, 06/13/2020 - 1:30pm

In a work-from-home economy, nobody is more remote than anyone else. Maybe that’s good news for Maine, which has been penalized by its relatively remote location. If remote work takes off, as seems highly possible, Maine might see its competitive disadvantage greatly reduced. It’s too soon to know how the remote economy will develop, but the crisis provides an opportunity to promote it. The so-called New Economy might not equal the Industrial Revolution, but could mark a historic change in...

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‘Living with White Sharks’ talk to discuss increase of sharks in New England waters

Event: Wed, Mar 17 - 6:30 pm
Vose Library to hold online input gathering session: What makes for a ‘wicked-good’ website?

Event: Wed, Mar 10 - 6:00 pm
Let’s Talk About It book club to discuss ‘Mrs. Poe’

Event: Tue, Mar 9 - 2:00 pm
Building with Birds in Mind talk with Maine Audubon

Event: Tue, Mar 16 - 12:00 pm
Mystery Book Club to discuss ‘The Pale Blue Eye’

Event: Thu, Mar 4 - 2:00 pm
Pruning Apple Trees: Hands-on workshop in Rockland

Event: Fri, Mar 19 - 9:00 am
Science of Mindfulness talk with Penny Clements

Event: Fri, Mar 5 - 6:00 pm
Gawler Sisters, their mom to play Waldo Theater concert

Event: Thu, Mar 11 - 7:00 pm
Union’s Aging In Place offers free St. Patrick’s takeaway meals to seniors

Event: Thu, Mar 18 - 11:30 am
Virtual author talk with Michael Hillard: Shredding Paper

Event: Thu, Mar 11 - 6:30 pm
Cig Harvey, Meg Weston, Richard Reitz Smith featured in March Poet’s Corner

Event: Sun, Mar 7 - 4:00 pm
Online lecture with ecologist Shri Verrill: Maine’s Climate Plan

Event: Sun, Mar 7 - 3:00 pm
When Particles Collide acoustic show to play SoundCheck

Event: Fri, Mar 5 - 7:30 pm
‘By the Waters of the Winds’ art show, virtual film, talk with Maureen Egan, Tim Seymour

Event: Thu, Mar 11 - 6:00 pm

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