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

Communities

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

Communities

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

Communities

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

Island Journal

Grabbing the Digital Future

Grabbing the Digital Future Islands explore ways to bring fast internet to boost economies, support health care and education, and sustain population By Jennifer Van Allen Malcolm Fernald’s internet service has been just fast enough to maintain a web site for his family business, the Islesford Artists Gallery. But if… SEE MORE

Island Journal

‘Halfway to Where Somebody’s in Trouble’

‘Halfway to Where Somebody’s in Trouble’ Cell phones proliferate, but radios are the go-to communication tool on islands. By Stephanie Bouchard It is practically a cliché to call Matinicus Island isolated, but it is. The closest mainland city (and U.S. Coast Guard station) is in Rockland at about 23 miles… SEE MORE

Communities

old color photo of dock with cable spools

Island Journal

The DIY Approach That Linked Isle au Haut to the Grid

The DIY Approach That Linked Isle au Haut to the Grid Cable has far outlived its life expectancy, thanks to Parker Waite’s problem solving. By TOM GROENING Parker Waite moved to Isle au Haut in 1976 “to get off the grid.” Though the phrase may have had as much figurative… SEE MORE

Communities

Island Journal

Smiles, Hugs, and Hospitality

Smiles, Hugs, and Hospitality Island matriarch marks 66 years on island. STORY AND PHOTOS By SCOTT SELL A confession: I never learned to hula hoop. Not enough to keep it from hitting the floor, anyway. It’s a late November afternoon and quiet on Islesford—also known as Little Cranberry, one of… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Vinalhaven’s Investment

Vinalhaven’s Investment Town hired manager with scant experience, and has no regrets. Story by Tom Groening Photos by Scott Sell For an island community that’s a 75-minute ferry ride away from the mainland, Vinalhaven has been fortunate to have had two very successful long-term town managers, says Emily Lane, a… SEE MORE

musicians performing on a sidewalk with young kids playing in the background

Island Journal

Trading Sardines For Lupines

Trading Sardines for Lupines Eastport’s rebirth may portend a new kind of rejuvenation By Rob McCall The sardine—a generic name for several types of herring—is the icon of Eastport, which likes to call itself “the easternmost city in the USA.” Eastport encompasses five islands, the largest being Moose Island. With… SEE MORE

Communities