Tag Archives: Bailey Island
‘To honor the lobstermen,’ Bailey Island artist paints their portraits
“I love Maine. Lobstering’s part of Maine. Lobstering’s threatened. And I just want to honor the lobstermen.” So said Bailey Island artist Dennis Wilkins, who often walks the quarter mile from his home on Abner Point to Glen’s Lobsters, the place where he buys his “critters.” It was there he conceived of the project that he hopes will raise awareness of the ongoing challenges facing the lobster industry. “They’re under multiple stresses — climate change, regulations … It’s like the world’s coming down on them,” Wilkins said. “I want them to see that they’re recognized … they’re appreciated, so much so that I’m going to spend time to paint their portraits and give them to them.” Wilkins, a retired neurologist and self-trained fine artist, started working on the project in June 2023. Portraits, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:46
Coastal rebuilding in ‘limbo’ as residents await answers
Bailey Island lobsterman and building contractor Guy Baker would like to rebuild the large wharf on his property that was torn to pieces in January’s coastal storms, but there are several unknowns. Nearly six weeks after back-to-back storms struck the Maine coast on Wednesday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan. 13, the Harpswell resident still doesn’t know what sort of emergency funding he will receive, if any, to rebuild. He doesn’t know how long the town might give him to replace a generations-old structure that didn’t conform to current building codes. Baker doesn’t know what replacing the wharf would cost, or how long he’d have to wait for a specialty contractor to take on the job. He assumes prices have skyrocketed as property owners rush to repair millions of dollars’ worth of damage along the Maine coast. Baker isn’t alone. more, >>click to read<< 08:34
Portland Lobster Co. buys lobster pound on Bailey Island in Casco Bay
“With the purchase of our own lobster pound in the pristine environment surrounding Bailey Island, we can ensure that our lobsters are sourced directly from the productive and healthy waters of Casco Bay,” said Ethan Morgan, who owns the Portland Lobster Co. and has bought the Bailey Island Lobster Pier for an undisclosed price. “This acquisition allows us to establish a close partnership with local fishermen, supporting them while having a direct line to their daily catches.” Morgan said the deal was a strategic move to designed to receive, house and transport lobsters for his restaurant, Portland Lobster Co., eliminating the need for the lobsters to sit in tanks for weeks at a time. >click to read< 13:06
Long-sunken trawler leaks diesel fuel into Mackerel Cove
A trawler that sank to the bottom of Mackerel Cove, Bailey Island, in the 1990s leaked diesel fuel into the cove on Monday, July 10. A local diver plugged the leak late Monday afternoon and the U.S. Coast Guard plans to pump out the rest of the fuel, according to Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department, and U.S. Coast Guard Station South Portland responded to assist. But it was local diver Alex Lund who stopped the leak around 5 p.m., using marine putty and other materials. The fishing vessel Miss Plum was the source of the leak, according to Plummer. >click to read< 07:50
Elroy Johnson: Man of the people
Harvey Elroy Johnson was born March 16, 1894, to George Bernard Johnson and Laura Etta (Sinnett) Johnson. He was the third child in a family of seven children that traced their presence on Bailey Island back to the 1740s and their employment as fishermen just as far. An independent and resourceful spirit, Elroy, or “Snoody,” as he came to be called, got an early start in his career. In the summer of 1904, he put out 15 traps without his father’s help. By that fall, he had saved $45. He was only 10 years old at the time. Elroy left school after completing the eighth grade and went on to earn his living from the sea: lobstering, swordfishing, shrimping, sardining, from both small and large boats. Starting when fishermen still pursued their catch by wind, sail and oar, he fished well into the 1960s, when diesel engines and electronic devices made the job easier and safer. >click to read< 13:58
