Other years:
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Jan-Dec
GCI Ladies Aid membership drive -- all residents & rusticators welcome, including men
3 May
Unseasonably Hot -- Yesterday it approached 90 degrees in Northeast Harbor & Bar Harbor. It was a weird feeling walking the streets; it seemed like summer, but there were no tourists. Today promises to be a repeat, but it should return to normal for the weekend.
Storm Damages -- Several houses on Great Cranberry sport islands of mismatched roofing shingles where hasty patches were applied in the wake of last December's severe windstorm. Tree blowdowns are more apparent than ever in the wooded areas. Skeldale Farms lost a brand-new metal pipe and tarp hay barn structure to the storm.
Crackdown on Island Vehicles -- Scuttlebutt has it that this year the Maine State Police will make several unannounced visits to the islands to check for unlicensed and unregistered vehicles -- including golf carts.
Beal & Bunker -- Beal and Bunker ferry rates increase this year from $10 to $12 roundtrip for daytrippers, with proportional increases for 10-trip tickets. The Summer and Off-Season schedules remain the same, but the Winter schedule has a slightly different time for early morning departures from the islands.
6 May
Gasoline -- Due to rising costs, the gas co-op on Great Cranberry has reluctantly raised the price of gasoline to $2.50 per gallon.
7 May
School Bathroom Renovation -- On GCI, the Longfellow School bathroom, which also serves patrons of the Library and Historical Museum, is currently being renovated with funds provided by a grant from MBNA. The bright new bathroom will be wheelchair-accessible.
4 June
Nellie Elizabeth Horvath -- Exclusive shots of Ed & Lesley's new daughter. She is four months old.
Lesley with Nellie in her best pink dress
Nellie dressed island style
Christening, 9 June 2001
11 June
Cranberry Isles Parking Lot Evacuation. Northeast Harbor authorities request that all cars parked in the reserved parking area near the Police Station be moved today to the tennis court parking area (where the boats are kept in winter), and that that area be used until Friday 22 June, because the reserved parking lot is to be swept and painted.
20 June
The Rusty Anchor Opens - The new snack van is conveniently parked in Wesley Bracy Jr.'s front yard, an excellent mid-island location for tourists and islanders alike. Serving lobster, crab, clam, and haddock rolls, as well as hamburgers and sandwiches, with side dishes of fries and onion rings, it is sure to appeal to everyone. Live lobsters also available.
The Rusty Anchor is open 7 days a week from 11 to 8. Telephone 460-5015.
23 June
Wedding of Norman & Kelly Sanborn - See photos
2 July
Baby Seal Beaches on Great Cranberry Island - Around 6 p.m. this afternoon, a confused and possibly injured baby seal pulled up in Spurling Cove near Edgar Bunker's abandoned tractor, not far from the Town Dock. A call was placed to the Acadia Park emergency number, and the ranger on duty duly informed the proper authorities. As of 9 p.m. no action was taken. However, the ranger did advise to leave the youngster alone, and the mother might come to nurse and rescue it. More news tomorrow...
3 July
Baby Seal Safely Gone - Although it was seen as late as 11 p.m. last night, early this morning the baby seal was gone. However, a drag-trail was clearly visible.
High tide occurred at 9:35 p.m. last night, which would have wiped out the trail made on ascending the shore. So this trail must have been made as the baby travelled back towards the water, and safety.
15 July
Downeast Dance Group on the "Dance Floor" on Baker Island
31 July
Sha-Day II is a boy - According to Dick Beal, Sha-Day II, the llama born March 2000 and thought to be a female, now shows unmistakable evidence of actually being male! previous story
31 July
Voters approve bond issue of $350,000 to improve Islesford Dock, and imposition of "landing fee" for wheeled vehicles disembarked on town ramps.
24 Oct
Breakins on GCI -- I am receiving scattered news, but no details, of several house break-ins on Great Cranberry just after the close of the season this year. Absent owners may wish to contact their caretakers. -- BK
1 Dec
Bazaar - Ruth Westphal writes: "We had a very successful Ladies Aid Fair on Dec. 1st. . . . The Community Center was very festive with Christmas decorations and the wood stove heating up the place. The Aid plans at least monthly gatherings of some kind to keep the winter population together. There were also folks from NEH, Bar Harbor and Ellsworth who came out for the Fair."
Jan Moss kindly sent me these photos of the setup at the Community Center. She also mentioned, "They will serve turkey soup and apple crisp." More artistic photos from Jan.
Ruth also says, "We are having 50-degree weather during the day here." (5 Dec.)
13 Dec
GCI Breakins Solved - An article appearing today in the Bar Harbor Times indicates that detectives obtained a search warrant for the house of a man living in Jamestown, RI, where all the stolen goods were found intact. The owner of the house was arrested on 26 counts of receiving stolen property, 26 counts of theft, and several counts of burglary. Island residents apparently had their suspicions from the first, due to several facts noticed about the alleged perpetrator's behavior while visiting the island. Thanks to their careful observations, plus the detectives' experience, this sad episode seems to have come to a satisfactory conclusion.
bkomusin@