Maine Voices: South Portland should take care to protect its character, history

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2023

Bug Light Park is considered South Portland’s premier park. But its security and value have been threatened by the proposed development of Yard South right next door. Bug Light’s proximity to a proposed 30-acre urban cityscape, including four 18-story buildings, retail and office space, restaurants and other California- or Florida-inspired development, renders the park significantly endangered. The danger intensifies because the South Portland City Council has declined to protect Bug Light against development by granting a conservation easement. Bug Light needs to be protected; the Yard South development is a treacherous and thoughtless concept. ~ Barbara Dee, South Portland

Column: If you understand the basics, you can take good bird photos without an expensive camera

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 7, 2023

Anyone can take better photos with a modern camera, if they understand the three basics —  aperture, shutter speed and ISO. By adjusting these three parameters, you have all the tools you need to get great photos. Alas, I have not fully mastered the art. My last tidbit: dumb luck beats skill. Don’t shoot one photo; shoot a hundred. Many cameras can take multiple shots while the shutter remains depressed. You’re bound to get lucky on one of them. Delete the rest. I don’t know if I’ll ever become a better bird photographer. I shutter to think about it. ~ Bob Duchesne

South Portland poised to approve rules to reduce the number of trees lost to development

FORECASTER • September 7, 2023

The South Portland City Council is poised to pass regulations aimed at reducing and offsetting the number of trees cut down for development in the city. The regulations would also apply to homeowners who want to take down large swaths of trees on their property, but exempt those who want to remove one or just a few for small improvement projects or because the trees are hazardous or unhealthy. Any project that calls for the removal of 10 or more “significant” trees, three or more “heritage” trees and any “historic” trees would require city approval under the new regulations.

Mitchell Center to host talk ‘Vacationland or Climate Migrationland?’ on Sept. 11

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 6, 2023

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk, “Vacationland or Climate Migrationland?”, with speaker Vanessa Levesque, assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Southern Maine at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11. Free and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono. Preregister if Zooming.

Column: More climate fiction

SUN JOURNAL • September 5, 2023

It’s been a good summer for climate activists who are pushing the false narrative of “climate change.” We had the Canadian wildfires with smoke drifting into other parts of North America. Then there were hotter than usual rees. The same goes for Maui, along with better management of the fire when it first broke out. The organization Climate Intelligence has published a letter signed by 1,609 scientists who say there is no climate emergency. ~ Cal Thomas

Shark filmed swimming off Hermit Island in Phippsburg

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 5, 2023

A large shark that was filmed swimming close to the shore of Hermit Island in Phippsburg last week is most likely a blue shark. Blue sharks do not pose much of a threat to humans, but marine scientists who viewed the video caution that it is best not to get too close to any shark.

Wildfire smoke from western Canada is reaching parts of Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 5, 2023

For the third or fourth time this year, air quality in Maine is being affected by wildfires in Canada, according to the National Weather Service in Caribou. This time, the smoke affecting northern and eastern Maine is coming from British Columbia and western Alberta. “The smoke is being channeled northward somewhat over Hudson Bay and then it’s being looped through northern and central Quebec and down through northern Maine that way,” said Victor J. Nouhan, lead forecaster at Climate Focal Points for the National Weather Service in Caribou.

Maine utility ballot question likely to be tied up in court for years

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 5, 2023

The state’s public advocate said there are too many unknowns to give a clear interpretation of the November referendum seeking to create a public-owned utility. But one thing is nearly certain: there will be court challenges. Many of the biggest questions remain unanswered, some of which could take years to settle in court. On Nov. 7, voters will be asked: “Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?”

A mysterious Maine deer is turning purple but nobody knows why

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 5, 2023

Tony Gedaro of South Portland recently encountered a bizarre looking white-tailed deer while driving through Cape Elizabeth. The deer, a crotch horn buck, not only is sporting large, bulbous masses on its chest and on the underside of its lower jaw, but it appears to be turning purple. It’s unclear what caused the unusual appearance. Some commenters on Facebook provided a link to a condition called “Bullwinkle Deer,” which results in a swollen face for affected animals.

At risk wood turtles find a home at Loring Air Force Base

MAINE PUBLIC • September 5, 2023

In this Borealis story, follow along with biologists and their super sniffer yellow lab, June, as they search for the elusive and "at risk" wood turtle on the grounds of historic Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine.

Man who died off Rockland Breakwater was an expert swimmer, friend says

COURIER-GAZETTE • September 5, 2023

A former Dragon Products cement plant executive died Sunday afternoon after suffering a medical event while swimming off the Rockland Breakwater, Rockland police said Monday. Martin Turecky, 57, of Florida, an experienced swimmer in good physical condition, died during a training session.

When newly purchased land gets posted it means disappearing access for Maine hunters

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 5, 2023

It’s happening more and more these days. Large pieces of property are being bought up, posted and erased from the list of once accessible hunting grounds, forcing more and more hunters onto less and less land. Some are hunters themselves, just trying to escape a fate so many others face. Some are nonhunters who want to own a piece of our beautiful state to enjoy in peace and quiet with no interest in allowing any type of access. And when you think about it, who can blame them? It’s their land and their right, but is it right? There’s no way around it. Finding good places to hunt and trap in our state is getting harder and harder.

Lobstermen help rescue fisherman who fell from cliffs in York

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 5, 2023

A boat crew pulling lobster traps off the coast of York on Monday rescued a fisherman who had fallen from a cliff and was clinging to a buoy. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was fishing from Bald Head Cliff with another person around 8 a.m. when he slipped and fell into the water. The tide was low at the time, making the rocks in the area “really, really slippery.”

What’s still unknown about Maine’s proposed utility takeover

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 5, 2023

It remains unclear whether the proposed takeover of Central Maine Power and Versant’s infrastructure will improve customer service, reliability and the state’s progress towards its climate goals, Public Advocate William Harwood said Tuesday. Harwood’s office released an overview Tuesday of “some of the more significant issues and questions” facing Question 3 on the November ballot, which would place the infrastructure of Maine’s two largest electric utilities under the control of an elected board.

Schoodic Peninsula is on pace to have busiest summer ever

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 5, 2023

The Schoodic Peninsula, on the eastern side of Frenchman Bay, has long been considered the quiet part of Acadia National Park, far removed from the summer crowds that fill parking lots of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island. But this year the Schoodic section of the park, and its abutting towns of Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor, don’t quite resemble the sparse locales that many residents remember from a few years ago. The Schoodic Peninsula is on pace to have its busiest summer ever — busier even than 2021, when Acadia as a whole surpassed 4 million visits for the first time in its 107-year history. That’s setting it apart from the portion of Acadia on MDI, where visits have remained high but leveled off some.

Commentary: With or without Maine, seaweed revolution is taking off

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 5, 2023

As the largest producer of farmed kelp in the U.S., and with a 50-year history in wild seaweed harvesting, Maine is seen as a leader in the U.S. seaweed economy. There are over 40 farms across the coast, and Maine farmers harvested over 1 million pounds of kelp in 2022. On Wednesday and Thursday, Maine is welcoming the Seagriculture USA conference for a second year. Maine companies positioned at the forefront of advanced processing of seaweed as a replacement for plastic packaging, as a mineral-rich food and in medicine and agriculture. It’s a model for sustainable economic development, and if we get it right, it can offer a vital new sector to the Maine economy with high-paying biotech jobs coupled with keeping traditional fisherwomen and fishermen working on the water. ~ Mitchell Lench, Ocean’s Balance

Letter: Pine Tree Power could save Maine a lot of money

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 5, 2023

Pine Tree Power makes environmental sense. I hope Mainers realize it also makes financial sense. Several areas of Maine currently have public power and are paying less for it than those supplied by Central Maine Power and Versant. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick

Letter: On National Wildlife Refuges

DAILY BULLDOG • September 5, 2023

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge protects approximately 5,600 acres within a 14,800-acre acquisition zone. The Fish and Wildlife Service brings money into local municipalities through the Land, Water and Conservation Fund (LWCF), which uses revenues generated from offshore energy leases (not taxpayer dollars) to pay for new refuge lands. The FWS also supports infrastructure improvements through its operating budget. In Maine, we are lucky to have six National Wildlife Refuges: Aroostook, Sunkhaze Meadows, Moosehorn, Maine Coastal Islands, Umbagog, and Rachel Carson. There are many studies that have been published detailing the economic benefits of conserving refuge lands. ~ Bill Durkin, The Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Monmouth considers water solutions amid high ‘forever chemical’ levels in wells

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • September 4, 2023

Alarming levels of so-called “forever chemicals” have been detected in the wells of more than a dozen residents near a textile mill in North Monmouth, prompting town officials to explore expanding the town’s centralized water distribution system. “People living near the mill had their wells tested positive for PFAS,” said town resident John Hale.

Climate extremes are wreaking havoc on tourism-reliant businesses across the US

ASSOCIATED PRESS • September 4, 2023

For small businesses that rely on summer tourism to keep afloat, extreme weather is replacing the pandemic as the determining factor in how well a summer will go. The pandemic had its ups and downs for tourism, with a total shutdown followed by a rush of vacations due to pent-up demand. This year, small businesses say vacation cadences are returning to normal. But now, they have extreme weather to deal with — many say it’s hurting business, but more temperate spots are seeing a surge.