No news organization is more invested in the health of the Gulf of Maine and the region’s residents than the Portland Press Herald and The Boston Globe. So, as the gulf’s warming waters pose an increasingly existential threat to Maine’s signature industry, lobster, we joined forces to take a hard look at the climate crisis unfolding on our shores.
We descended on the island of Vinalhaven, one of Maine’s busiest fishing villages, and turned loose reporters, photographers and videographers from both news organizations to learn firsthand the challenges, stresses, and fears of those facing this uniquely perilous time for lobstering. The problems posed by the warming waters were sometimes subtle — the slow migration of whales and lobsters, the gradual rise in sea levels. The tensions and stakes were glaring. Climate change gravely threatens the nation’s richest fishery and the communities that depend on it.
The result is The Lobster Trap, presented here today. It is a story of a group of Mainers struggling to preserve their way of life in a rapidly changing world. It is also a snapshot of life on the front lines of a monumental crisis, no less than last summer’s western wildfires or the rise of extreme flooding events.
This collaboration was made possible by support from Participant, the company that co-produced the movie “Spotlight” and funds the Globe’s Spotlight Fellowship program. We are grateful for the continued support and hope that you, our readers, find this work illuminating.
Portland Press Herald Managing Editor Steve Greenlee and Boston Globe Editor Brian McGrory
After 33 years at the Portland Press Herald, reporter Meredith Goad is retiring and moving back to her childhood home of Tennessee. She talked with food editor Peggy Grodinsky about how the food and drinks scene in Portland, and Maine, has exploded over the 15 + years she has chronicled it, from Sam Hayward’s 2004 James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef Northeast (the first such award for Maine) to the growing farm-to-table movement, through the trials and tribulations for Maine’s restaurants and other food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out what she’ll miss – and won’t – about eating in Maine, and just see what happens if you ask her about her favorite restaurant.
Since Robert Indiana’s death in 2018, Portland Press Herald arts reporter Bob Keyes has been covering the complicated saga surrounding the “LOVE” artist’s life and legacy. But there were more notes and conversations than what made it into print. During the pandemic, Bob spent much of his downtime putting the vast knowledge he’s amassed into his first book, “The Isolation Artist,” released Sept. 7.
An evening of live conversation with Cynthia McFadden, the senior legal and investigative correspondent for NBC News. She is a Lewiston native who graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Bowdoin College.
McFadden was interviewed by Portland Press Herald reporter Kelley Bouchard.
Sam Sifton is the assistant managing editor of The New York Times, overseeing culture and lifestyle coverage. He is the founding editor of NYT Cooking and writes a food column for The New York Times Magazine. Based in New York City, Sifton has spent time in Maine every year of his life. His love of the state and its food heritage frequently shows up in his popular NYT Cooking email newsletter. Formerly the newspaper’s national news editor, culture editor and chief restaurant critic, Sifton is the author of the forthcoming “The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes,” as well as “See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends” and “Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well.” Portland Press Herald restaurant critic Andrew Ross leads the conversation with sign language interpretation by MJ Grant.
Abdi Nor Iftin is a reporter and the author of “Call Me American,” a memoir of his immigration to the United States. Growing up in Mogadishu, Somalia, Iftin learned English by watching action movies. When U.S. Marines landed in the 1990s to get involved in the civil conflict, Iftin felt it was an arrival of real-life action heroes and grew fascinated with American culture. Sporting hip-hop clothes and dance moves, he became known as “Abdi American.”
In 2006, as conflict again emerged in Somalia, Iftin risked his life posting secret dispatches to NPR. He eventually fled to Nairobi, Kenya as he became a target. In an eventual stroke of luck, he won entrance to the U.S. in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America—which was documented on the radio show This American Life—did not come easily.
Iftin is now a US citizen. His naturalization ceremony took place in Portland on Jan. 17, 2019. He lives in Yarmouth and writes a regular column for the Forecaster. He is also working on a documentary about his life story.
Iftin was interviewed by Portland Press Herald reporter Eric Russell.
Daniel and Marcia Minter are a Portland power couple in the arts, advertising, culture and history scenes. In 2019 they co-founded the Indigo Arts Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to the creative cultivation of artists of African descent.
Daniel Minter is an internationally exhibited artist, visual storyteller and illustrator. His artwork reflects abiding themes of displacement and diaspora, ordinary and extraordinary blackness, spirituality in the Afro-Atlantic world, and the creation and recreation of meanings of home. He has illustrated over a dozen children’s books, was twice commissioned to create stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and co-founded the Portland Freedom Trail. He teaches at the Maine College of Art.
Marcia Minter is a seasoned creative professional who has spent her career as an executive creative director for some of the world’s most iconic brands, including an extended time as Vice President Creative Director with L.L. Bean. Marcia is a dedicated arts advocate and community leader, deeply committed to social and cultural activism. Currently she serves on the Maine Arts Commission, the Board of Directors for Maine Media Workshops and College and Portland Ovations and is a Trustee of the Portland Museum of Art.
Video of this conversation is available at: https://youtu.be/41-jsuE7CoY
Meir lived in space for 205 days on the International Space Station. She conducted three spacewalks with crewmate Christina Koch of NASA, for a total of 21 hours and 44 minutes outside of the ISS. Meir has a Ph.D. in marine biology.
She contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development while onboard the orbiting laboratory.
This interview was recorded in June 2020. Video is available at: https://youtu.be/swiDaA2jy1w
Timothy Simons grew up in Readfield and attended University of Maine in Orono, where he discovered his love of acting. He then worked in the Chicago theater scene before moving to Los Angeles. In just a few years, he landed his breakout role on HBO’s “Veep,” starring as the lovingly hated Jonah Ryan alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale. Now, Simons has amassed nearly two dozen film and television credits, including the limited series “Looking for Alaska” on Hulu, “The Hustle” opposite Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway and voicing characters for “Robot Chicken,” “Big Hero 6: The Series” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” He is currently developing his own comedy for HBO, about a man who runs an assisted suicide business.
Like A Boss is a live Q&A business event where you can hear insightful, first-hand accounts of the realities of running a business. Portland Press Herald CEO and Publisher Lisa DeSisto interviews local CEOs and business leaders for a behind the scenes look at their career paths, the ups and downs of running their businesses and the trends shaping them.
About Liz Cotter Schlax
Liz assumed leadership of United Way of Greater Portland in January 2015. As President & CEO, she guides United Way’s strategies that achieve community change in the areas of education, financial stability, and health to improve people’s lives.
A live panel discussion with our Sunday columnists – Greg Kesich, Bill Nemitz, Victoria Hugo-Vidal and Jim Fossel – for their views on what will happen on Election Day. Conversation starts at 7:00 p.m. Bill Nemitz is the award-winning metro columnist for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He has been writing about Maine news and Maine people for more than 40 years. Jim Fossel is a conservative activist and political observer who lives in Gardiner. He has been writing his column about Maine and the nation in the Telegram since 2017. Victoria Hugo-Vidal, The Maine Millennial, adds her unique voice and observations of life as a young adult making her way in the nation’s oldest state. Her columns appear each Sunday in the Telegram. Greg Kesich has been the editorial page editor for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2011. He weighs in each week under his own byline with “The View From Here” column.
Congrats to small businesses on making it this far. Now join us on Oct. 21 to learn what tax, accounting and operational issues you should consider before year’s end. How about a primer on the more than a dozen grants and programs that could help your business now? Or a checklist to assess your financial health, especially if you’re considering big moves like deciding whether to close temporarily?
On the panel:
Dan Gayer, Baker Newman Noyes
Steve Veazey, SCORE
Mark Delisle, Maine Small Business Development Centers
Sarah Guerette, Director and Senior Business Adviser, Coastal Enterprises Inc.
Discussion was moderated by Business Projects Editor Carol Coultas.
More info: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/09/30/making-it-work-how-small-businesses-can-close-the-books-on-2020/
Like A Boss is a live Q&A business event where you can hear insightful, first-hand accounts of the realities of running a business. Our CEO and Publisher Lisa DeSisto interviews local CEOs and business leaders for a behind the scenes look at their career paths, the ups and downs of running their businesses and the trends shaping them.
About Clayton Rose
Clayton S. Rose, who was inaugurated as Bowdoin’s fifteenth president on October 17, 2015, has consistently underscored the value and essential importance of a liberal arts education for living lives of meaning, for thoughtful engagement in civic life, and for satisfaction and success in work.
Over his 47 years in broadcasting, Bill Green became a household name in Maine, starting as a sportscaster in Bangor to hosting 19 seasons of his own Saturday magazine show, the last episode of which aired last fall, when he retired.
This interview was online live on September 15, 2020.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Sara Gideon traded shots over health care, money in politics, judicial nominees and President Trump’s reelection campaign during a fast-paced first debate of Maine’s closely watched Senate race.
Appearing together for the first time, alongside independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn, Collins and her well-funded opponent were more respectful than the barrage of negative advertising that is filling Maine’s television airwaves.
Story: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/09/11/health-care-money-in-politics-highlight-lively-u-s-senate-debate/
Portland Press Herald Publisher and CEO Lisa DeSisto interviews Tony Shurman at the Portland House of Music in Portland Maine on February 28, 2020.
Shurman is President and CEO of Jasper Wyman & Son (“Wyman’s”) the second largest brand in the retail frozen fruit category in the U.S. with its most notable product being wild blueberries. Founded in 1874, Wyman’s is a family-owned business headquartered in Down East Maine with an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, corporate social responsibility and product innovation.
Prior to joining Wyman’s in 2017, Tony ran the Post Foods breakfast cereal business which includes brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Grape Nuts, Pebbles, and Post Shredded Wheat. Earlier in his career he worked in brand management roles in the gum/mint’s category as well as in consumer healthcare. He has experience working across geographies including Japan, Europe, and the U.S. Tony lives with his wife and two sons in Yarmouth, Maine
John Cariani is an actor and a playwright from Presque Isle. His first play, “Almost, Maine,” which he describes as “a love letter to northern Maine,” premiered at Portland Stage in 2004 and opened off-Broadway in 2006. It has since become one of the most frequently produced plays in the United States and has been translated into nearly 20 languages.
As an actor, he is best known for his “Law & Order” character, forensics tech Julian Beck, whom he played from 2002 to 2007 and frequently shows up in reruns. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Motel the Tailor in the 2004 Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” and played Itzik in “The Band’s Visit,” which won the Tony for best musical in 2018. Other plays he has written include “Cul-de-sac,” “Last Gas” and “Love/Sick.”
Fifteen years after the premiere of “Almost, Maine,” the play and Cariani will return to Portland Stage from Jan. 15 to Feb. 2 before he heads to Broadway for a revival of “Caroline, or Change.”
Brother Arnold, as he calls himself, spoke in Portland before a sold-out crowd Tuesday about his life as one of the last three living Shakers in the world. He lives at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, the sole remaining active Shaker community.
Arnold Hadd, who joined the Shakers more than 40 years ago at just 21 years old, spoke with eloquence, expertise and humor as part of the Portland Press Herald’s MaineVoices Live series, which is held at One Longfellow Square.
Brother Arnold fielded questions from the audience and interviewer Press Herald Food Editor Peggy Grodinsky that ranged from “Do Shakers vote?” (yes, but they don’t talk politics) to how he came to — and was willing to — give up a so-called “normal” life and all it entails (career, belongings, having a family, sexual relations, etc.) to live a religious, communal life.
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was established more than 200 years ago and was one of three Shaker communities in Maine. Today, it encompasses a museum, library, meetinghouse, shop, orchards, farm and gardens. To Brother Arnold and his fellow Shakers, it is home.
To see a list of previous and upcoming Maine Voices Live events, click here.
News Center Maine meteorologist Keith Carson talked Tuesday, October 29 about the places he traveled working for The Weather Channel, the problem with the term bomb cyclone and the reason he hasn’t pursued a career in comedy in front of a sold-out crowd at One Longfellow Square in Portland.
Carson was interviewed on stage by Portland Press Herald reporter Gillian Graham in the latest installment of the newspaper’s event series, Maine Voices Live.
Raised in central Massachusetts, Carson’s first job as a meteorologist was at what is now IBM’s The Weather Company. He then spent two years at WPTZ-TV in Burlington before moving to Portland in 2010 to work at News Center Maine. In 2013, he was recruited by The Weather Channel, where he worked alongside Al Roker and Jim Cantore, covered major weather events and accumulated a ton of frequent flyer miles before returning to Maine – and Channel 6 – in 2016.
This is a recording of the Portland Press Herald Business Breakfast, November 6, 2019 HR Drives Culture - creating an appealing place to work.
HR used to just process payroll checks and handle employee benefits. But today, the ability to attract and retain workers is a priority for Maine businesses. And that has transformed HR into a driver of corporate culture.
About the moderator:
Hosted by Business editor Carol Coultas. Carol Coultas has been practicing journalism in Maine since the mid-‘80s and focusing on business journalism since 2003. She’s been the business editor at the Press Herald, overseeing an award-winning staff, since 2014.
About the panelists:
Cynthia Murphy, Senior Program Director, Workforce Solutions, CEI
Cynthia helps companies develop workforce solutions, including working with employers to create a people strategy that delivers a competitive advantage. She also has extensive experience helping marginalized job seekers find work.
David Pease, Senior Vice President, Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion, Bangor Savings Bank
David know that culture is an important employment topic. For employers – culture is what makes you unique – your competitive advantage – your promise – why should people work for you and not somewhere else? For job seekers – they should seek corporate culture that align with their personal values, will leverage their strengths and passions and allow them to perform at their highest level. When the organization’s culture and a candidate’s skills & interests are congruent – that is employment gold!
Angela Hansen, Consultant, KMA Human Resources
Angela is an HR professional with more than 20 years of experience in employee relations, leadership, performance management, policy development, benefits, recruiting and corporate compliance. She is a public speaking pro and enjoys helping groups enhance their understanding of human working relationships through her engaging and relaxed style. She has presented on a broad range of subjects, including: managing conflict; engaging in difficult conversations; performance management; creating a positive work culture; and social styles.
Portland Press Herald Director of Digital Nerd stuff Chad Gilley sits down for a chat with Lincoln Peirce, whose has been writing and drawing his "Big Nate" strip for more than 25 years. The comic strip appears in over 400 newspapers nationwide, including the Portland Press Herald.
Video of the September 10, 2019 event is available at https://youtu.be/EgGAW88xIN0
Pat Gallant-Charette is a native of Maine, Westbrook resident, University of Southern Maine graduate, wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and retired nurse. In her spare time, 68-year-old Pat is a marathon swimmer.
She started marathon swimming at the age of 58 and was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and Maine Sports Hall of Fame this year. She has set 9 world records in some of the most challenging marathon swims in the world.
Pat is also the founder of the annual global swim event “Valentine’s Day…Swim for your Heart” to bring an awareness of heart disease and its prevention.
Calling all birdwatchers for our next Maine Voices Live! Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and nature writer Nicholas Lund have advice on how to make the most of your spring, summer and fall birding season and discuss the background of Maine’s unusual number of bird-centric news events in the past year, from the brief controversy about which chickadee species should be our state bird to the saga of the wayward great black hawk in Deering Oaks.
Doug Hitchcox is the Staff Naturalist for Maine Audubon and outreach coordinator for Maine Fish & Wildlife’s Maine Bird Atlas. Hitchcox grew up in Hollis and graduated from the University of Maine in 2011. In his free time, Doug is one of Maine’s eBird reviewers, owner and moderator of the ‘Maine-birds’ listserv, York County Audubon board member and is a voting member of the Maine Bird Records Committee.
Nicholas Lund lives and birds in southern Maine. He is the outreach and network manager for Maine Audubon and runs The Birdist blog. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The Washington Post and Slate.com among other places.
Hitchcox and Lund were interviewed by Portland Press Herald outdoors reporter, Deirdre Fleming.
This event took place at One Longfellow Square in Portland
High-speed internet service is essential to Maine businesses, but access is often determined by where you live. Gov. Janet Mills pledged to make statewide broadband access a priority.
What changes are needed? What are providers doing? What is working?
This event was recorded live on May 22, 2019 at the Portland, Maine Public Library.
Hosted by Business reporter J. Craig Anderson
Panelists include:
Tracy Scheckel, Otelco
Peggy Schaffer, Director, ConnectME Authority
Fletcher Kittredge, GWI
Like A Boss is a live Q&A business event where you can hear insightful, first-hand accounts of the realities of running a business. Our CEO and Publisher Lisa DeSisto interviews local CEOs and business leaders for a behind the scenes look at their career paths, the ups and downs of running their businesses and the trends shaping them.
About Michelle Hood
Michelle Hood is the president and CEO at Northern Light Health in Brewer, Maine. She came to Northern Light Health in 2006 after she served as president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Montana Region, as well as president and CEO of its flagship hospital, St. Vincent Healthcare. As president and CEO of Northern Light Health, she focuses on health care policy and design models at the state and national levels, positioning the system to be successful in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.