Category: Communities

group of young adults in early 2000s clothing

Island Journal

Two Decades of Fellows Changes Communities

It’s a beautiful coincidence that 2020 is the 20th year of the Island Fellows program at the Island Institute. Twenty years ago, the designers of this program may not have known the level of reach it would have. Fellows came from states thousands of miles away, their projects have touched… SEE MORE
Zain Padamsee

Island Journal

Zain Padamsee Found Himself on Frenchboro

On the top deck of the Henry Lee on his way to live for at least a year on the island of Frenchboro, Zain Padamsee looked longingly back at the mainland fading from view, wondering if he had made a huge mistake. This is it, he thought. No escaping, at… SEE MORE
woman pointing at small white building

Island Journal

Cliff Island — A Labor of Love for Cheryl Crowley

Photos by Lorinda Valls Cheryl Crowley offers a vivid metaphor for the challenges and rewards of working to support a small island community. “It’s like painting a house,” she says. “I hate all the scraping. But then, after the final coat is applied, it’s Ahhhh!” Crowley has been scraping away,… SEE MORE
female firefighter posed in front of fire truck

Island Journal

Keeping the Home Fires… Out

Photos by Jesse Groening The stormy November morning crossing to Islesford (Little Cranberry Island) was rough, even by islander standards. And later, when the weather knocked out power on the island, the vital role Katelyn Damon plays in the community and surrounding islands became clear. “She’s pretty much the reason… SEE MORE
old marble headstones, white house in distance

Island Journal

The Secret Soul of an Island Shoe

PHotos By Peter Ralston Its sole gouged with holes, the leather top cracked and ripped, the shoe, a woman’s, had been hidden in the west wall of an upstairs bedroom in our Gotts Island house. Nestled behind the plaster, it had endured Maine winters when the winds howled out of… SEE MORE
Swan's Island fire department and residents

Island Journal

Responding First, Fifteen Miles Out

Responding First, Fifteen Miles Out Islanders want to do their neighborly duty, but time and regulations add to challenges. By Gideon Davidson   Eva Murray moved to Matinicus in 1987 to take a position as the school teacher. Matinicus then was similar to Matinicus now: a small island fishing town,… SEE MORE
Harpswell fishermen sitting around woodstove at Watson's General Store

Island Journal

Harpswell, ‘A Town of Superlatives’

Harpswell, ‘A Town of Superlatives’ Cumberland County town has longest coastline in state, oldest population. BY CALLIE FERGUSON PHOTOS BY MICHELE STAPLETON   There’s a long-running joke in Harpswell that it’s really three towns in one. The town has the longest coastline of any in Maine—216 miles of long, jagged… SEE MORE
old men seated at a dinner table

Island Journal

Men, Books, Food, and Drink

Men, Books, Food, and Drink Vinalhaven’s men’s book club is a community institution. By Phil Crossman Photos by Sheri Romer-Day   In 2008, Vinalhaven native and lifelong fisherman Steve Rosen was chatting with Ellen Chandler, a seasonal resident of many years, who told him of her book discussion group in… SEE MORE
A view down Bucksport's Main Street, with the paper mill's smokestacks in view.

Island Journal

Bucksport: Life After the Mill

Bucksport: Life After the Mill Town at top of Penobscot Bay searches for its (new) heart and soul. By Jim Baumer Photos by Linda Coan O’Kresik Maine has endured a litany of paper mill closures in recent years. These have been devastating to the communities that leaned heavily on the… SEE MORE