Since returning from Maine I can not seem to get Monhegan Island out of my mind. The island is approximately 12 nautical miles off the coast of Maine and in the 2000 cenus there were only 75 people who lived there full time. Names like Edward Hopper, Zero Mostel and Andrew Wyeth all lived full or part time on Monhegan.
There are no cars on the island and one must take the ferry from either Boothbay, Port Clyde or New Harbor to reach Monhegan. Definitely needs to be on everyone's bucket list...It is most definitely on my list....next time I will bring my seasickness pills.
The images today are everyday scenes on the island.
Harry, what brought you such joy on Monhegan is in not-so-silent peril!
ReplyDeleteWell meaning windfarm wannabes of the University of Maine propose setting up a floating Offshore Wind Research and Development Center only two nautical mile off Monhegan's Lobster Cove.
While these will only be halfsized prototype windtowers - and won't even produce any power for Monhegan or the mainland - they will for the foreseeable future dominate the view from all south-facing elevations on the island.
Daytime: in the morning, as the horizon brightens, the first rays of the rising start flickering through the mills as the sun backlights the spinning blade.
Throughout the day the spin/flicker shall tug at every eye, even when only in one's peripheral vision. Then at night, the deep star-drenched cosmos rising from the pathless horizon will be punctuated by the thirteen to 30 blinkers that the facility must operate for navigation purposes.
This need not happen. Maine Superior Court this moment is considering a case to require the University to relocate its plan to one of the other five locations that it picked Monhegan from.
Negotiation between Plaintiffs and University are underway for a settlement; what is needed are artists who have responded to the beauty of Monhegan and then channeled it through brush, pen, chisel, pen or lens. You would be part of an agreed-on panel to inform the court on the scenic value, the ineffable grandeur of Monhegan that for centuries has been translated through the Arts. Interested? Contact Penobscot Bay Watch 207-691-7485 or ron.huber@penbay.org for details. More info on the case: click on http://tinyurl.com/savemonhegan
No fees or charges of any sort will be requested or available for taking part in this panel.
Stand up for Beauty!
Correction: that last paragraph should read:
ReplyDelete"In order to stimulate negotiation between Plaintiffs and University for a settlement; what is needed are artists who have responded to the beauty of Monhegan and then channeled it through brush, pen, chisel, pen or lens."
In other words, no negotiations are happening. ( yet).
Harry, I'm with you. I just came back on Saturday night and I can't explain the preoccupation...just a beautiful way of life. I hope it is always preserved!
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