As is reported in the July 2006 issue of the Earlhamite, this pair of alums left the Philadelphia, Penn. area for Down East Maine, where Denny O'Brien serves as executive director of Acadia Partners, a non-profit charged with converting a former naval base into a center for science and learning. The base, now known as the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC), is like a village into itself with about 50 buildings in all. Below are images of some of the facilities at SERC.

This Norman Provincial apartment building was designed by Grosvenor Atterbury, an architect best known for buildings he designed for John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

In addition to this baseball field, SERC sports a gymnasium, tennis court and daycare center, not to mention its own wastewater treatment plant, fire station and medical facility.

The Navy left a variety of apartment buildings at the SERC site. In total, the facility can host at least 200 overnight guests.

All these facilities are within walking distance of the rocky shore at Schoodic point.

After spending their entire married life in major metropolitan areas, the O’Briens and their three sons now live in Winter Harbor, Me., a small fishing village not far from popular tourist destination of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Here are some additional images of the town.

Fishing has been the leading industry in Winter Harbor for centuries, so it’s not unusual to see boats parked in front yards.

Lobster is king is Maine, now amounting to 80% of the product harvested from the waters of the state’s coast.

The O’Briens live on Maine Street, not far from the town’s post office, grocery, gas station, and Ben Franklin store.

Fishing boats as seen from the outskirts of Winter Harbor, Me.

Wendilee Heath O’Brien was just starting to sell a lot of paintings in Philadelphia when she and her family decided to move. She knows that it will be a struggle to build the type of client base that she left behind, but she is excited about the barn she is converting into a studio and gallery and pleased to be incorporating her new surroundings into her work. Here are two examples of her work.

by Wendilee Heath O’Brien

by Wendilee Heath O’Brien