Deer Isle Misses You!
In normal times we would be bringing you notices of coming events on Deer Isle. Instead, we thought we’d start a series of updates about island life while we’re all necessarily far apart
The island is slowly coming to life again after a very quiet two months of sheltering at home. The osprey has returned to the bridge, the forsythia has started to bloom and Carman’s Rock has been painted over, awaiting the names of the 2020 Deer Isle-Stonington High School graduates.
But it isn’t quite the same without our summer friends. And it’s been a difficult time for many islanders who have lost jobs or income because of COVID-19 restrictions. The community, though, has come together in ways that are truly uplifting. Many, many people have volunteered to feed the hungry, connect with the lonely and help those who need help.
Haystack, with no schedule of workshops to plan for, has turned its Fab Lab to making face shields for local hospitals and ambulance crews. The Healthy Island Project delivers lunch twice a week to anyone who asks. Fishermen and farmers donated food to feed families who might have otherwise gone hungry over spring break. The Opera House still manages to inspire local students with remote poetry recitals.
The Deer Isle-Stonington Chamber of Commerce is doing its part to help the island. Many businesses and nonprofits have had to close their doors and furlough employees. So the Chamber created this website, shopdeerisle.com, to connect you with our shops, our inns, our restaurants, our libraries and our galleries. Please click through it to buy a little bit of Deer Isle summer with a gift card or a product – and to help our local businesses and institutions survive a severely shortened season.
Stay safe and we’ll keep you posted.