Acadia National Park wants to rebuild Jordan Pond House
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Acadia National Park wants to tear down the famous Jordan Pond House restaurant and replace it for as much as $20 million. The Bangor Daily News reported Monday that the current restaurant and gift shop have design flaws that require costly repairs. The Jordan Pond House is at a scenic spot where tea and popovers have been served since the late 1800s. Jordan Pond and a pair of mountains called The Bubbles serve as the backdrop. Replacing the structure would require a formal proposal from the National Park Service and funding from Congress. That could take several years.
BROWNTAIL MOTH MONTH
Browntail moths so annoying they now have their own month
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s browntail moth nuisance has risen to the level that state forestry officials feel the pest deserves its own month. Browntail moths are the source of an ongoing outbreak in Maine that has bugged the state since 2015. The moth caterpillars have toxic hairs that cause an itchy rash in humans. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said February of this year is Browntail Moth Awareness Month. The state is using the month to encourage residents to use the moth’s dormant season to help slow their spread.
LOBSTER FISHING FUND
Plan for lobster fishing relief fund faces committee vote
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A plan to create a $30 million fund to help Maine fishermen cope with the economic impact of new whale conservation rules faces a possible key vote. The new federal rules are intended to protect rare North Atlantic right whales from entanglement in fishing gear. The new rules are especially challenging for the state’s lobster industry, which is the biggest of its kind in the country. The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Marine Resources is due to vote on the fund proposal on Tuesday.
INVASIVE MOTH
Maine might give towns money to stop rash-causing moth
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers are considering starting a new fund to help cities and towns try to slow the spread of an invasive moth that can cause an itchy rash in humans. The fund would help communities combat the browntail moth. The moth caterpillars have poisonous hairs that can cause respiratory trouble and a rash that resembles poison ivy. The fund would start with $150,000 in grants in the 2022-23 fiscal year. The proposal was the subject of a public hearing before a committee of the Maine Legislature on Tuesday.
OPIOID CRISIS GRANTS
Maine jobs program for opioid epidemic sufferers gets $2M
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine program that connects people affected by the opioid epidemic with education and training has received more than $2 million from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Labor is giving the money to the state. It will support the “Connecting with Opportunities Initiative,” which Maine officials say also provides skills development and job search help. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said the program will help people affected by the opioid crisis get training they need to find and keep good-paying jobs, which she called an important step forward on the road of recovery.
AIRPORT-CELLULAR
Airport doesn’t have to worry about 5G for time being
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — There has been concern about the impact of the rollout of 5G cellular networks on airports around the country, but the Portland International Jetport doesn’t have that worry yet. Manager Paul Bradbury says the newer 5G transmission equipment won’t be installed near the airport until next year. Airlines have expressed concern that the 5G transmissions could cause inaccurate readings on airplanes’ altimeters, which operate on a frequency that’s close to the one used by 5G towers. The Federal Aviation Administration is creating alternate safety procedures for aircraft.
OBIT-ASHLEY BRYAN-AUTHOR
Ashley Bryan, acclaimed children’s author, dead at 98
ISLESFORD, Maine (AP) — Ashley Bryan, a prolific children’s book illustrator and storyteller who often retold African folktales he had heard as a child, has died. He was 98. The Ashley Bryan Center in coastal Maine says Bryan died Friday at his niece’s home in Texas. The Bangor Daily News reports Bryan received Coretta Scott King awards for “Beat the Story Drum: Pum-Pum,” a series of Nigerian folktales illustrated with woodcut prints, and “Beautiful Blackbird,” a Zambian folktale illustrated in paper collage. Gov. Janet Mills had proclaimed July 13, 2020, as Ashley Frederick Bryan Day in Maine to mark Bryan’s then-97th birthday. A memorial service will be held in Isleford this July 13.