Stories

Lucas Campbell keeps his landing craft docked at Burton Island State Park for much of the summer. Photo by Henry Epp for VPR

Lake Champlain: Carrying On The Tradition Of Working Boats

August 13, 2018

Lake Champlain has a long history as a commercial waterway. In the 1800s, it was a crowded passage for boats hauling lumber and other goods between New York City and Montreal and points in between.

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Vermont has lost 66 dairy farms this year, and that has prompted farmers to consider news ways to stay in business by controlling the over-supply of milk. Photo courtesy of Butterworks Farm

As Crisis Rocks Dairy Industry, Farmers Focus On How To Manage Milk Supply

August 9, 2018

Dairy farmers in the Northeast say they’re ready to talk about something that’s been almost off limits for decades: how to manage the milk supply to stop overproduction.

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The forum on workplace diversity and economic inclusion, held at Eversource offices in Manchester, took place July 26, 2018. Photo by Robert Garrova

Forum On Diversity In New Hampshire Sparks Angry Response, Threats To Attendees

August 6, 2018

A group of New Hampshire leaders from the private and public sectors met recently to discuss what they see as a challenge for the state: How to attract a diverse workforce.

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Bales of recyclable aluminum and steel cans ready to be shipped at the Chittenden Solid Waste District. Photo by John Dillon for VPR

Changes In Global Markets Mean Higher Recycling Costs In Vermont

August 2, 2018

Upheavals in global markets will soon be felt in Vermonters’ pocketbooks. The international market for some recyclable material has crashed, and that has forced some municipalities and solid waste companies to start charging for recycling.

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How The Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck Is Taking A Classic New England Dish Around The Country

July 18, 2018

Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac are no strangers to the Maine lobster bake. They grew up in Maine, and, although they have since moved away, their childhood memories of simple, homemade lobster rolls inspired them to start a business: Cousins Maine Lobster. It all started as a food truck, that served, you guessed it, Maine lobster. Since they opened their first truck out in L.A., they have expanded to over a dozen cities, including Portland, Maine, and a truck that will open in Southern Connecticut in the early fall, as well as opening restaurants around the world, and writing a new book, Cousins Maine Lobster: How One Food Truck Became a Multi-Million-Dollar Business.

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Lobsters caught by Spruce Head Fisherman's Coop in South Thomaston, Maine. Photo by Maine Public Radio

Maine Lobster Industry Deals With New Tariffs From China

July 10, 2018

Some Maine lobster dealers who have seen sales to China shoot up over the last decade are now suddenly shut out. Late last week, China more than doubled tariffs on lobster from U.S. sources as part of the emerging trade war between the two countries. But the lobster industry as a whole, and lobstermen in particular, are trying to take it all in stride.

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John Dankosky interviews Mushfiq Mobarak at a live Arts and Ideas Panel. Photo by Judy Rosenthal

Is Immigration Good For The US Economy?

June 28, 2018

One of the biggest political debates about immigration is that it hurts the chances of American-born workers to succeed and damages the U.S. economy. But in New England, where the population is rapidly aging and the young replacement workers needed to sustain the workforce are leaving, immigration might be the answer. In this special live NEXT event we discussed whether or not immigration is good for the regional and national economy. 

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With more empty storefronts than full ones, the 30-year-old Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, has seen better days. But near Spencer Gifts and a now-shuttered Hollister, something rather unexpected is alive and well: baseball.

Inside A Struggling Mall, A Celebration Of Baseball In Berkshire County

June 27, 2018

With more empty storefronts than full ones, the 30-year-old Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, has seen better days. But near Spencer Gifts and a now-shuttered Hollister, something rather unexpected is alive and well: baseball.

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Jim Wilson and Steven Strong. Photo by Fred Bever for Maine Public

A Microgrid System On Isle au Haut Could One Day Be A Model For The Entire Nation

June 26, 2018

Now, tiny Isle au Haut is the laboratory with a big solution: islanders and engineers are using artificial intelligence, complex algorithms and a bootstrapping attitude in an urgent effort to design what they are calling the next, next electricity grid.

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CTrail's new Hartford Line, which will carry passengers between New Haven and Springfield, will begin service on June 16. Photo by CTRail

Hartford Rail Line Revives ‘Gateway To New England’

June 13, 2018

This week the new Hartford Line commuter rail will link Springfield, Massachusetts, to New Haven, Connecticut, and cities in between. For less than $16, commuters can catch more than 12 trains each day and travel speeds up to 110 miles an hour.

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