man standing in front of house with scaffolding

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Caretaker

The phrase, “It’s all about relationships,” is an over-worked cliché in describing a job. But for Islesboro’s Lars Nelson, it’s ideal. Nelson, 66, has worked on the island as a caretaker for a handful of summer folks for 40 years. He’s a private, modest man, and the “relationship” idea emerges only through casual conversation, as he reveals the history he has had with families and with the island’s cottage-style mansions. Stopping on a late winter day at one of the houses he cares for—owned by a family whose name would be familiar to most Americans, but which he does not want to disclose—Nelson remembers sailing with the family along the Nova Scotia coast. He was working as a crew member, but it was an experience he remembers as a gift, especially since he was able to bring his son along for the voyage. This wealthy summer family has even purchased gifts for Nelson’s two children on their birthdays, a gesture that has touched him on a personal level. SEE MORE

Profiles

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Electrician

With a truckload of parts and a helper by his side, Trenor Goodell has kept Goodell Electric alive on North Haven for over a decade. Island life, while posing unique challenges, offers an interdependency that Goodell attributes to his success at making it here. “That’s one thing about islands—we support… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Telecommuter

After decades of painstaking planning, Christopher and Caroline Loder moved to Chebeague Island in 2013, intending to work remotely and give their three children a life that wasn’t possible on the mainland. But they got a surprise on move-in day, when Loder picked up his cell phone to make a… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Lobster Marketer

Without the work that connects lobster with customers around the country and world, Maine’s iconic seafood would be a local, seasonal snack. And without that effort, the iconic lobsterman—who in 2016 shared in $533 million in sales—would be a quaint and anachronistic figure, perhaps reduced to part-time work. Thanks to… SEE MORE

man looking directly at camera sitting in dimly lit room

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Hotelier

One day this past summer one of my guests, visiting with his wife and enjoying a waterfront berth here at the Tidewater Motel on Vinalhaven, answered my customary query by responding that this had been the best day of his life and thanked me profusely for providing it. Imagine! He’d… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Artist

Kaitlyn Duggan sees her life on Little Cranberry Island, also known as Islesford, as a seamless proposition. In exchange for the challenges of living and running a business on an island, she receives from that place an energetic zest that plows through all aspects of her life—potter, spouse, mom, and… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Making It Here: The Island Retailer

On a late autumn, hard-charging Thursday, Brian Krafjack starts the morning on the computer, spreadsheets open for inventory and bookkeeping, social media posts about freight arrivals and specials du jour. He and his wife Kathy own The Island Market & Supply on Swan’s Island. Like many island retail operations, TIMS—as… SEE MORE

man pushing luggage through ankle-deep water

Island Journal

Along the American Archipelago, Signs Are Everywhere

When Maine islanders meet islanders from other American coastlines, you might notice a bit of deference in the air. Maine’s 15 year-round island communities have standing around the country, in part for having persevered while so many others have gone extinct elsewhere. To add to Maine’s island luster, our island… SEE MORE