The Working Waterfront newspaper reports on the people and forces that shape Maine’s coastal and island communities. As publisher, Island Institute’s premise is that the cultural, environmental, and community assets here are rare and valuable, and are worth fighting for.
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November 21
Being a messenger is risky business
Bad news is not often well-received
I’ve been thinking about a play I saw on public TV many years ago, and believe it or not, my thoughts had nothing to do with the election. An Enemy of the People, written in 1882 by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, had been adapted by Arthur Miller, best known for his Death of a Salesman. It was Miller’s version…
November 21
This ‘God-forsaken rock’
Passing of an islander underscores community
When the deadline is looming for the next edition of The Working Waterfront, I reflect on what I’ve seen, heard, and shared in communities along the coast. Without fail, Tom…
November 20
A modernist visits Hinckley boatyard
Bechtle translated Maine into lively abstracts
Bechtle offered an intriguing assortment of symbols and shapes to represent the marine setting, including bright red pennants, a black cross, circles, and squares.
November 20
At the mussel farm with Island Institute's Lia Morris
I spent the day on the water with members of local and state government and staff from Sunrise County Economic Council touring Marshall Cove mussel farm off Islesboro.
November 19
A misheard word led to iconic photo
An unusual Wyeth, Ruohomaa 1951 collaboration
A working waterfront is loosely defined as critical access to coastal waters for people engaged in commercial and recreational fishing, seafood processing, boat building, aquaculture, and other water-dependent businesses. The…
November 19
In the face of change, towns must plan
Community vision guides municipal futures
As a multi-generational Mainer, I believe what makes this state special is that there has been such little change. I’ve had the opportunity to work with several local historians who share photos of their town and it’s amazing how recognizable places still are.
November 19
Our ocean’s troubling plastic problem
Floating, sinking, it travels across the globe
As I stood on the Rockland breakwater, trying to pry a piece of Styrofoam from between two boulders, my Island Institute co-workers scoured the beach, picking up trash as part…
November 19
Remembering Lonnie and the Gawker
Against tough odds, he kept cooking
A man possessed of a measure of resilience way beyond nearly anything the rest of us will ever have to muster, or need to, died on Sept. 29. Before that…
November 19
Cooking on wood
Choice works for dishes prepared slowly
Last weekend we stacked firewood in the barn, collecting and piling small pieces separately for kindling. Over the 30-plus years I’ve cooked on a wood burning kitchen stove, I’ve gotten…
November 19
Fernalds’ fall firewood ritual
Key fishing gear makes the process smooth
The islands are pretty active in October as most of us get ready for winter. This year, summer lingered beyond September and we’re off to a gorgeous beginning of a…
Island Postcards
EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining
Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.
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