You do that all on your own lolAre you setting me up to get poofed??
Only in Maine
- Thread starter cany
- Start date
longcast
Well-Known Angler
You got me there. Shot…..score!!!!
Record Tautog Caught in Maine…on Live Mackerel!
While striped bass fishing in Casco Bay on July 1st, local angler Brian Boyt hooked a potential state-record tautog.by Matt Haeffner January 8, 2024
UPDATE: As of Monday, January 8, 2024, angler Brian Boyt of Westbrook, Maine, is the new official state-record holder for tautog caught on rod and reel with his 7.825-pound (7-pound, 13.2-ounce) fish from July of 2023.
Nearly ten years ago, in late August of 2013, Chris Morrell of York, Maine set the state record for tautog—a species infrequently caught or targeted north of Massachusetts. His impressive 7-pound, 13-ounce blackfish remained the largest recorded tautog caught by rod and reel in Maine, until this past Saturday, July 1st, when Brian Boyt of Westbrook, ME hooked a state-record contender.
According to Maine’s Department of Marine Resources, tautog are occasionally caught along the southwest coast of the state, but rarely are they found in depths of less than 60 feet. Due to their scarcity in the Gulf of Maine, there is no season, bag limit or minimum size limit for tautog in Vacationland. While Boyt frequently notices small tautog and cunner among the rocks during his scuba- and free-diving escapades, he said it’s very rare to see a tog exceeding 16 inches. Then, on July 1st, Boyt surprised himself when he found a 7-pound, 13.2-ounce tautog on the end of his line. However, almost more surprising than the catch itself is how he caught it.
Fully confident in his abilities as an angler, Boyt said that he considers this remarkable feat to be nothing more than “dumb luck.” While striped bass fishing near Casco Bay, Boyt anchored up approximately 10 to 15 feet from a ledge where he and a friend had just released a 40-inch striper they caught on a live mackerel. In an effort to hook another 40-inch-plus bass, he set out a 10-inch mackerel on a non-offset 9/0 Eagle Claw Trokar Circle hook. Tied to the circle hook was a 3-foot segment of 30-pound-test Seaguar blue label fluorocarbon leader, which was connected to 30-pound-test braided main line. “Upon setting out the bait,” Boyt said, “the mackerel swam down off of a 25-foot ledge toward the bottom.” Moments later, he felt the distinct tap-tap of a fish that had taken interest in his bait. He drove the hook home, and when he got the fish to the surface, Boyt noticed his 9/0 circle hook sticking through the bottom jaw of—by Maine standards—a whopping tautog.
Boyt has caught tautog in Maine before, and every year around April and May, he spends some time targeting them; but few, if any other anglers can say they hooked a tautog that was trying to eat their live 10-inch mackerel. Hey, that’s what keeps this sport so interesting.
Fully aware of the existing state record tautog, Boyt and his friend followed protocol for recording a new possible record. In Maine, anglers submitting potential state records are required to have:
- a photo of the fish.
- recorded the measured length, girth and weight of the fish.
- a photo of the angler holding the fish.
- a witness to the catch.
- a separate party weigh the fish on a state-certified scale.
If all checks off for Brian Boyt, he could be the next 10-year record holder for tautog in the state of Maine. His only regret of the experience: donating one of the two delicious tog fillets to a friend.
Matts
Angler
The last of the fishing shacks?
"The fishing shacks that once perched on the rocks at Willard Beach in South Portland were part of a childhood that Maureen Connolly described on Monday as “quintessential Maine.”
The shacks, with lobster buoys hanging from their walls, had served as a backdrop for photographers and painters inspired by the rocky coastline, with its sailboats drifting by and dinghies bobbing in the water.
The shacks, which were at least 150 years old, are no more. On Saturday, the last of them were swept into Casco Bay by surges of wind and water from a powerful East Coast storm.
Ms. Connolly and others with a connection to South Portland learned of their destruction in a widely shared video of them tumbling into the water."
Sorry, there's a video of the last shack falling into the sea on Jan. 13, but my internet skills are insufficient to post them here.
"The fishing shacks that once perched on the rocks at Willard Beach in South Portland were part of a childhood that Maureen Connolly described on Monday as “quintessential Maine.”
The shacks, with lobster buoys hanging from their walls, had served as a backdrop for photographers and painters inspired by the rocky coastline, with its sailboats drifting by and dinghies bobbing in the water.
The shacks, which were at least 150 years old, are no more. On Saturday, the last of them were swept into Casco Bay by surges of wind and water from a powerful East Coast storm.
Ms. Connolly and others with a connection to South Portland learned of their destruction in a widely shared video of them tumbling into the water."
Sorry, there's a video of the last shack falling into the sea on Jan. 13, but my internet skills are insufficient to post them here.
Awwww, the poor rats. I'd think that Portland would be talking to NYC's Rat Tsar to figure out how to get rid of these pests, but no, we have folks who are trying to capture and foster them??!!!!!
The Portland City Council heard 20 minutes of public comment Wednesday night about a recent infestation of rats at Harbor View Memorial Park.
News Center Maine reported last week that the city was working to get rid of the rats, but did not say how many there were or how they got there.
The city cleared a large homeless encampment at the park on Jan. 2. Nearby residents and businesses had complained that the large encampment was growing out of control. Months earlier, the city responded to a Hepatitis A outbreak within the homeless community.
Over the past week, rumors have circulated that the rats living in Harbor View are not wild, but domesticated pets.
Olivia Wilcox-Ames, 27, who lives near the park, has been instrumental in organizing a group of volunteers to rescue and foster the rats in Harbor View. Over the past week, Ames and other volunteers have taken at least 18 rats to veterinary clinics where, she says, vets have confirmed that the rats are domesticated.
“These are varieties that can only occur after years of breeding,” said Ames. She expressed concern that these domestic rats are dying inhumanely, and also that the poison used to kill them is bad for the ecosystem.
“These poisons are so impactful to our environment, we are right by the water. Wild rats generally know how to go and hide and die in the wild, these rats don’t. These rats are laying dead out and open in the park for cats and dogs to find,” she said.
“Just please rescind the poison boxes long enough for the 150 people who are volunteers to go in and get these rats out of there,” she said before the council.
After public comment, Councilor Roberto Rodriguez asked City Manager Danielle West for more information on the rats and how the situation is being managed.
West said the city has been working with a contractor to get rid of the rats through “a variety of methods that are EPA compliant.” She said the city has asked the contractor to use other methods that do not rely on rat poison, which will reportedly be implemented in the coming days. West said the contractor the city is working with believes the rats to be wild.
Councilor Kate Sykes asked if the city would consider opening a police report if they discover the rats are indeed domesticated, indicating that someone dumped them there. West said legal action by the city is unlikely.
Portland City Council hears from the public about rats
The city is taking steps to rid the area at Harbor View Memorial Park of the rodents, but some believe they are domesticated and were released in the area.The Portland City Council heard 20 minutes of public comment Wednesday night about a recent infestation of rats at Harbor View Memorial Park.
News Center Maine reported last week that the city was working to get rid of the rats, but did not say how many there were or how they got there.
The city cleared a large homeless encampment at the park on Jan. 2. Nearby residents and businesses had complained that the large encampment was growing out of control. Months earlier, the city responded to a Hepatitis A outbreak within the homeless community.
Over the past week, rumors have circulated that the rats living in Harbor View are not wild, but domesticated pets.
Olivia Wilcox-Ames, 27, who lives near the park, has been instrumental in organizing a group of volunteers to rescue and foster the rats in Harbor View. Over the past week, Ames and other volunteers have taken at least 18 rats to veterinary clinics where, she says, vets have confirmed that the rats are domesticated.
“These are varieties that can only occur after years of breeding,” said Ames. She expressed concern that these domestic rats are dying inhumanely, and also that the poison used to kill them is bad for the ecosystem.
“These poisons are so impactful to our environment, we are right by the water. Wild rats generally know how to go and hide and die in the wild, these rats don’t. These rats are laying dead out and open in the park for cats and dogs to find,” she said.
“Just please rescind the poison boxes long enough for the 150 people who are volunteers to go in and get these rats out of there,” she said before the council.
After public comment, Councilor Roberto Rodriguez asked City Manager Danielle West for more information on the rats and how the situation is being managed.
West said the city has been working with a contractor to get rid of the rats through “a variety of methods that are EPA compliant.” She said the city has asked the contractor to use other methods that do not rely on rat poison, which will reportedly be implemented in the coming days. West said the contractor the city is working with believes the rats to be wild.
Councilor Kate Sykes asked if the city would consider opening a police report if they discover the rats are indeed domesticated, indicating that someone dumped them there. West said legal action by the city is unlikely.
Old Mud
Well-Known Angler
"Olivia Wilcox-Ames, 27, who lives near the park, has been instrumental in organizing a group of volunteers to rescue and foster the rats in Harbor View. Over the past week, Ames and other volunteers have taken at least 18 rats to veterinary clinics where, she says, vets have confirmed that the rats are domesticated."
I would like to suggest to the city counsel that whatever rats they catch LIVE they take to Mizz Olivia Wilcox Ames.
Problem solved !!
What the hell is the matter with these kids ? Where did we go wrong ? Is she from Stamford by chance ?
I would like to suggest to the city counsel that whatever rats they catch LIVE they take to Mizz Olivia Wilcox Ames.
Problem solved !!
What the hell is the matter with these kids ? Where did we go wrong ? Is she from Stamford by chance ?
longcast
Well-Known Angler
Maine residents ‘overwhelmed’ at prospect of becoming a 'transgender safe haven,' state lawmaker says | Fox News Video
Maine Republican State Rep. Katrina Smith expresses concerns over a new push from state leaders to make the state a ‘transgender safe haven.’
www.foxnews.com
YOWZAAAAAMaine residents ‘overwhelmed’ at prospect of becoming a 'transgender safe haven,' state lawmaker says | Fox News Video
Maine Republican State Rep. Katrina Smith expresses concerns over a new push from state leaders to make the state a ‘transgender safe haven.’
I hope the new welcome to Maine road sign doesent have images on itIt’s the “Welcoming State”. Whatever that means.
longcast
Well-Known Angler
Oh it will. Especially at the “welcome” rest stop on the way in. Look away if you are on the bike.
Old Mud
Well-Known Angler
They forgot the rest of the sign "Welcome To Maine The way Life Should Be" "Now leave your Money an Go HOME !!"
longcast
Well-Known Angler
Maine lawmakers kill bill on gender health care accused of trampling parents rights
Republicans and Democrats in Maine voted unanimously to kill a proposed bill on gender health care that critics said could amount to "state-sanctioned kidnapping."
www.foxnews.com
Not only on Fox, never got out of committee, product of a Moonbat legislator, something every state has too many of...Maine lawmakers kill bill on gender health care accused of trampling parents rights
Republicans and Democrats in Maine voted unanimously to kill a proposed bill on gender health care that critics said could amount to "state-sanctioned kidnapping."
AUGUSTA (WMGE) -- A bill that would have prevented the enforcement of laws of other states if a minor coming from out of state wanted to receive gender affirming care in Maine was killed Thursday.
The bill, LD 1735, brought big concerns from Republican lawmakers.
“The angst that the parents from around the country have reached out to talk to us about this bill, that should’ve never come to be,” said Sen. Lisa Keim (R-Oxford). “Parents shouldn’t have their rights threatened in this way, and this is a dangerous bill for children.”
The bill reads that the state of Maine could take temporary, emergency jurisdiction over minors who are unable to access gender affirming health care, which republicans say could have allowed minors from out of state to receive gender affirming surgeries in Maine without parental consent.
“This gives the state jurisdiction to effectively come into your home and take your kids based on a medical decision you made for the wellbeing and mental wellbeing of your child,” said Rep. Rachel Henderson (R-Rumford).
But the bill’s sponsor says that was never the intent.
She says that language was meant to protect transgender children from an unsafe environment and was taken aback by the message from republicans.
“That’s disrespectful to our care providers,” said Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orno), “Our care providers are trained, we have certification and licensing in Maine, and they only provide the care that’s needed for their patients.”
But Thursday, every democrat on the judiciary committee joined republicans in a unanimous vote to kill the bill. Democrats, who previously supported the bill, say its language was flawed. But Osher says she and her colleagues will keep fighting for protection for healthcare workers and individuals seeking gender affirming care.
“We will make sure that people are protected that our care providers are protected,” said Osher. “Today was a moment where we’re not getting that done, but we will get that done.”
The vote from the judiciary committee means the bill is dead, and will not be brought to a vote on the Senate or House floor.
This one is too funny, even by Maine standards. Well we know weed is Federally illegal, but we decided it's OK in our state, but we're having problems regulating its growing. Care to help us out?? Can't wait for the first "Maine Legal" operation gets busted by the Feds...
Maine’s congressional delegation is again calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and help the state crack down on illegal marijuana growing operations in Maine that benefit Chinese investors.
In a letter dated Jan. 25 to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden urged the Justice Department to provide Maine law enforcement agencies with additional help shutting down the operations.
This week’s letter is a followup letter to one the delegation sent in August. It said illegal growing operations are detrimental to businesses that are complying with Maine marijuana laws. One dispensary owner estimates that these illegal operations are selling marijuana for half the price she pays to legal growers. The price difference is unfair, they say.
The issue gained attention in August when an internal memo by the U.S. Border Patrol revealed that there were an estimated 270 illegal Chinese marijuana growing operations in Maine taking in an estimated $4.37 billion in revenue.
Since then, there have been multiple raids on suspected operations across the state. Law enforcement has arrested eight people and seized more than 4,400 cannabis plants from four growing sites in Belgrade, China and Cornville alone.
Three people were arrested on Jan. 17 during an illegal marijuana bust at a home on West Ridge Road in Cornville. More than 750 plants and 90 pounds of processed marijuana were seized during the raid. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office arrested 75-year-old Huansheng Mai, 63-year-old Yuling Mei, and 68-year-old Yiming Hu.
Each was charged with illegal cultivation of marijuana and unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs with more than 500 plants. The charges are Class B offenses.
“While these illegal operations may be secretive, they are often not hard to spot for neighbors in these tightknit communities,” the delegation states in their letter to Garland. The arrests and seizures in Belgrade occurred following “community complaints.”
Court documents from the case in Carmel showed that the house rented by one defendant was billed $6,900 a month for electricity, one indicator of a large scale growing operation.
“We applaud Maine law enforcement for their continued efforts to investigate and shut down these illegal operations, and we encourage the DOJ and other federal partners to provide additional support for these efforts,” the delegation says in its letter to Garland. “These illegal growing operations are detrimental to Maine businesses that comply with state laws, and we urge the DOJ to shut them down.”
Maine law allows for adult use of marijuana, but the industry is highly regulated and taxed. There are 144 licensed legal growing sites across the state, according to the Office of Cannabis Policy.
Only 89 of the 144 legal operations are active. A spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Policy did not respond to questions Monday night.
Maine’s Cannabis Legalization Act, approved in 2016 by Maine voters, established a regulatory framework governing adult cannabis use in Maine. The law specifies regulations for tracking cannabis plants and product, enforcement and compliance, health and safety data, labeling and packaging, and licensing and fees.
The delegation raised a number of questions in the most recent letter, including what the Justice Department is doing to address the illegal operations, whether it is aware that these operations are owned by the Chinese or other foreign governments, and whether the profits from these operations are being funneled back to the countries of origin.
They also want to know how much support the department is providing to Maine agencies working to shut down these operations.
When Maine State Police or the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency uncovers, becomes aware of, or receives intelligence about illegal drug activity, it works closely with federal law enforcement to determine how best to “disrupt and dismantle illegal drug activities,” said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Maine’s congressional delegation renews call for crackdown on illegal pot-growing operations
They ask in a letter to the federal Department of Justice what federal agencies are doing to support Maine law enforcement shut down the illegal grows.Maine’s congressional delegation is again calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and help the state crack down on illegal marijuana growing operations in Maine that benefit Chinese investors.
In a letter dated Jan. 25 to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden urged the Justice Department to provide Maine law enforcement agencies with additional help shutting down the operations.
This week’s letter is a followup letter to one the delegation sent in August. It said illegal growing operations are detrimental to businesses that are complying with Maine marijuana laws. One dispensary owner estimates that these illegal operations are selling marijuana for half the price she pays to legal growers. The price difference is unfair, they say.
The issue gained attention in August when an internal memo by the U.S. Border Patrol revealed that there were an estimated 270 illegal Chinese marijuana growing operations in Maine taking in an estimated $4.37 billion in revenue.
Since then, there have been multiple raids on suspected operations across the state. Law enforcement has arrested eight people and seized more than 4,400 cannabis plants from four growing sites in Belgrade, China and Cornville alone.
Three people were arrested on Jan. 17 during an illegal marijuana bust at a home on West Ridge Road in Cornville. More than 750 plants and 90 pounds of processed marijuana were seized during the raid. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office arrested 75-year-old Huansheng Mai, 63-year-old Yuling Mei, and 68-year-old Yiming Hu.
Each was charged with illegal cultivation of marijuana and unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs with more than 500 plants. The charges are Class B offenses.
“While these illegal operations may be secretive, they are often not hard to spot for neighbors in these tightknit communities,” the delegation states in their letter to Garland. The arrests and seizures in Belgrade occurred following “community complaints.”
Court documents from the case in Carmel showed that the house rented by one defendant was billed $6,900 a month for electricity, one indicator of a large scale growing operation.
“We applaud Maine law enforcement for their continued efforts to investigate and shut down these illegal operations, and we encourage the DOJ and other federal partners to provide additional support for these efforts,” the delegation says in its letter to Garland. “These illegal growing operations are detrimental to Maine businesses that comply with state laws, and we urge the DOJ to shut them down.”
Maine law allows for adult use of marijuana, but the industry is highly regulated and taxed. There are 144 licensed legal growing sites across the state, according to the Office of Cannabis Policy.
Only 89 of the 144 legal operations are active. A spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Policy did not respond to questions Monday night.
Maine’s Cannabis Legalization Act, approved in 2016 by Maine voters, established a regulatory framework governing adult cannabis use in Maine. The law specifies regulations for tracking cannabis plants and product, enforcement and compliance, health and safety data, labeling and packaging, and licensing and fees.
The delegation raised a number of questions in the most recent letter, including what the Justice Department is doing to address the illegal operations, whether it is aware that these operations are owned by the Chinese or other foreign governments, and whether the profits from these operations are being funneled back to the countries of origin.
They also want to know how much support the department is providing to Maine agencies working to shut down these operations.
When Maine State Police or the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency uncovers, becomes aware of, or receives intelligence about illegal drug activity, it works closely with federal law enforcement to determine how best to “disrupt and dismantle illegal drug activities,” said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Sounds blue....
www.nytimes.com
‘Shame on Us’: How Maine Struggles to Handle Troubled Youth (Published 2024)
Even as fewer teens are being prosecuted, the state is not providing enough intervention, rehabilitation and other help.
Southern Maine is basically Northern Masachusetts. Northern Maine is very Red, but the Southern population vastly outnumbers the North. Kind of like NY in it's "divergence", but far fewer substantial cities than NY has in the North...Sounds blue....
‘Shame on Us’: How Maine Struggles to Handle Troubled Youth (Published 2024)
Even as fewer teens are being prosecuted, the state is not providing enough intervention, rehabilitation and other help.
longcast
Well-Known Angler
Maine lobsterman hears mysterious cries from the water that lead to miracle rescue
A small boat capsized off the coast of Maine, and a man's cries for help were heard by a lobsterman, who called for assistance in the search.
www.foxnews.com
Surprised nobody jumped on this one. A proper library should be politically, religiously, and ideologically neutral. It infuriated me when I wanted to read Richard Wagner's bile-laden, Anti-Semitic treatise, Das Judenthum in der Musik and I had to resort to the "Dark Web" to get a copy. Major Props to the Blue Hill Library's Board and Staff for doing the right thing. All the stuck up hypocrites who are complaining and resorting to sending hate mail to Mr. Boulet should be ashamed of doing to him what they probably scream about when the shoe is on the other foot...
Oh and BTW, since The Generalissimo & Site Owner specified no politics here, that is a standing rule so don't start up with "Where's our Free Speech?". Just the price of being a member...
Rich Boulet, the director of the Blue Hill Public Library, was working in his office when a regular patron stopped by to ask how to donate a book to the library. “You just hand it over,” Mr. Boulet said.
The book was “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters,” by the journalist Abigail Shrier. The book posits that gender dysphoria is a “diagnostic craze” fueled by adolescent confusion, social media and peer influence, and that teenagers are too young to undergo potentially irreversible gender transition surgery.
Many transgender people and their advocates say the book is harmful to trans youth, and some have tried to suppress its distribution.
“If I’m being totally honest, my heart sank when I saw it,” Mr. Boulet recalled.
Founded in 1796, the library has a $7.9 million endowment in a coastal enclave popular among affluent summer residents. Blue Hill delivered a 35-point victory for Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the 2020 presidential race. The communities around it are a blend of liberal, conservative and none-of-your-business, all of which helped its library resist political proxy battles like those roiling the nation’s libraries.
But in mid-2021, the Blue Hill library and its leadership were tested in a way none of them anticipated.
“Irreversible Damage” did not reflect Mr. Boulet’s personal views, nor those of his staff. But because “I want the library to be there for everybody, not just people who share my voting record,” Mr. Boulet said he gave the book the same consideration he would any other, and concluded it should be on the shelves.
“I felt like it filled a hole in our collection of a lot of materials on that subject matter,” he said. His staff supported the decision.
Less than a week after the book went on display, the parent of a transgender adult told Mr. Boulet that she found it harmful.
“She and I have known each other for years, and we talked about it calmly,” he recalled. The patron filled out a reconsideration request, asking that the book be kept “under the desk,” available only by request.
The library’s collections committee voted unanimously to keep the book in circulation. “But I knew it wasn’t over,” Mr. Boulet said.
Residents who objected to the book confronted him, library staffers and board members in the grocery store, post office and the library itself.
“They would say ‘I can’t believe that the library is allowing this,’” said John Diamond, the library board president. “My feeling was, ‘I can’t believe the library would not allow it, based on its position on free access to information.’”
The harshest criticism was reserved for Mr. Boulet. One patron told him that if a trans youth checked out the book and died by suicide, “that’s on you,” Mr. Boulet recalled. Critical Facebook posts and negative Google reviews poured in.
Mr. Boulet defended the decision on the library’s Facebook page, which only fanned the discord. Painfully, Mr. Boulet knew many of the negative commenters.
Mr. Boulet appealed to the American Library Association for a public letter of support, which it offers to libraries undergoing censorship efforts. “They ghosted me,” he said.
Asked about the letter, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the A.L.A.’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said Mr. Boulet’s request had generated internal debate, and delay.
“Our position on the book is, it should remain in the collection; it is beneath us to adopt the tools of the censors,” she said in an interview. “We need to support intellectual freedom in all its aspects, in order to claim that high ground.” Months after Mr. Boulet requested the letter, Ms. Caldwell-Stone saw him at a conference and apologized.
Mr. Boulet wrote an open letter in the local newspaper stressing that the library welcomes everyone, “not just your or my slice of the community.”
“The presence of an item in the library is not an endorsement of the ideas contained therein,” he added.
A friend of Mr. Boulet’s, a high school teacher, posted a response on social media, and sent it to the library board.
“The ‘All Lives Matter’ stance the Blue Hill library is taking is biased, harmful and manipulative hate speech,” it read. Irate, Mr. Boulet confronted the teacher in person, and the two are no longer friends.
And then by the end of 2021, the furor quieted, and the book remained.
Before the controversy, “I hadn’t really given intellectual freedom as much thought as I should have,” Mr. Boulet said. His conclusion, he said, is that “intellectual freedom or the freedom of speech isn’t there just to protect ideas that we like.”
Oh and BTW, since The Generalissimo & Site Owner specified no politics here, that is a standing rule so don't start up with "Where's our Free Speech?". Just the price of being a member...
‘My Heart Sank’: In Maine, a Challenge to a Book, and to a Town’s Self-Image
Wealthy, liberal-leaning Blue Hill prided itself on staying above the fray — until the library stocked a book that drew anger from the left.Rich Boulet, the director of the Blue Hill Public Library, was working in his office when a regular patron stopped by to ask how to donate a book to the library. “You just hand it over,” Mr. Boulet said.
The book was “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters,” by the journalist Abigail Shrier. The book posits that gender dysphoria is a “diagnostic craze” fueled by adolescent confusion, social media and peer influence, and that teenagers are too young to undergo potentially irreversible gender transition surgery.
Many transgender people and their advocates say the book is harmful to trans youth, and some have tried to suppress its distribution.
“If I’m being totally honest, my heart sank when I saw it,” Mr. Boulet recalled.
Founded in 1796, the library has a $7.9 million endowment in a coastal enclave popular among affluent summer residents. Blue Hill delivered a 35-point victory for Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the 2020 presidential race. The communities around it are a blend of liberal, conservative and none-of-your-business, all of which helped its library resist political proxy battles like those roiling the nation’s libraries.
But in mid-2021, the Blue Hill library and its leadership were tested in a way none of them anticipated.
“Irreversible Damage” did not reflect Mr. Boulet’s personal views, nor those of his staff. But because “I want the library to be there for everybody, not just people who share my voting record,” Mr. Boulet said he gave the book the same consideration he would any other, and concluded it should be on the shelves.
“I felt like it filled a hole in our collection of a lot of materials on that subject matter,” he said. His staff supported the decision.
Less than a week after the book went on display, the parent of a transgender adult told Mr. Boulet that she found it harmful.
“She and I have known each other for years, and we talked about it calmly,” he recalled. The patron filled out a reconsideration request, asking that the book be kept “under the desk,” available only by request.
The library’s collections committee voted unanimously to keep the book in circulation. “But I knew it wasn’t over,” Mr. Boulet said.
Residents who objected to the book confronted him, library staffers and board members in the grocery store, post office and the library itself.
“They would say ‘I can’t believe that the library is allowing this,’” said John Diamond, the library board president. “My feeling was, ‘I can’t believe the library would not allow it, based on its position on free access to information.’”
The harshest criticism was reserved for Mr. Boulet. One patron told him that if a trans youth checked out the book and died by suicide, “that’s on you,” Mr. Boulet recalled. Critical Facebook posts and negative Google reviews poured in.
Mr. Boulet defended the decision on the library’s Facebook page, which only fanned the discord. Painfully, Mr. Boulet knew many of the negative commenters.
Mr. Boulet appealed to the American Library Association for a public letter of support, which it offers to libraries undergoing censorship efforts. “They ghosted me,” he said.
Asked about the letter, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the A.L.A.’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said Mr. Boulet’s request had generated internal debate, and delay.
“Our position on the book is, it should remain in the collection; it is beneath us to adopt the tools of the censors,” she said in an interview. “We need to support intellectual freedom in all its aspects, in order to claim that high ground.” Months after Mr. Boulet requested the letter, Ms. Caldwell-Stone saw him at a conference and apologized.
Mr. Boulet wrote an open letter in the local newspaper stressing that the library welcomes everyone, “not just your or my slice of the community.”
“The presence of an item in the library is not an endorsement of the ideas contained therein,” he added.
A friend of Mr. Boulet’s, a high school teacher, posted a response on social media, and sent it to the library board.
“The ‘All Lives Matter’ stance the Blue Hill library is taking is biased, harmful and manipulative hate speech,” it read. Irate, Mr. Boulet confronted the teacher in person, and the two are no longer friends.
And then by the end of 2021, the furor quieted, and the book remained.
Before the controversy, “I hadn’t really given intellectual freedom as much thought as I should have,” Mr. Boulet said. His conclusion, he said, is that “intellectual freedom or the freedom of speech isn’t there just to protect ideas that we like.”
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