Working Waterfront

Cleaning up our mess means being bold, practical

The story horrified me. It hit close to home—literally. And it angered many, some demanding action be taken at the public policy level. The story, broken in mid-December by Ethan Andrews, editor of the Camden-based Free Press, reported that some bales of shredded plastic waste had apparently fallen off a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seafood: great for health, environment, economy

Seafood has a lot going for it when it comes to health, the environment, and the economy. “We’d like to see more seafood on people’s plates and also see working waterfronts and coastal communities thriving and not just surviving,” said Kyle Foley, senior program manager of the sustainable seafood program… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

When jobs have deadly consequences

Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains Kerri Arsenault (2020) Review by Tina Cohen Mill Town, with no specific location in its title, could refer to a lot of places. Here it refers to Rumford, where Arsenault grew up in the adjacent town of Mexico, across the Androscoggin River from the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine Maritime student honored by peers

Dylan Bunker explains his course of study at Maine Maritime Academy in much the way Goldilocks explained her taste in porridge. There are three tracks for the marine engineering degree, the 22-year-old senior says. One is very much a hands-on discipline, one is rooted in the theoretical, and one has… SEE MORE

Cruise ship seen from West Street in Bar Harbor.

Working Waterfront

Lost at sea: Cruise ships faces uncertain future

On paper, Bar Harbor was expecting more than 150 cruise ship visits this year. In reality—fat chance. The COVID-19 tsunami finds the global cruise ship industry in shambles and has left traditional ports of call, including a handful in Maine, with many more questions than answers. “We need to figure… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The Maine coast and islands will continue to lead

Eighteen years ago, I sat for the first time on the rugged granite backside of Frenchboro, marveling at the power of the tides and the open water extending to the horizon. I appreciated then, as I do now, that I was there because of the relationships that preceded me and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Massachusetts proposes February to May lobstering ‘pause’

A dire decline of North Atlantic right whales and a pair of court rulings are pushing regulators to propose new restrictions on lobstering in New England waters. The proposed regulations aim to reduce the risk of the endangered whales becoming entangled with lobster trap gear. While much of the new… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fight climate change, but not with CMP corridor

The December/January issue featured a guest column by Orlando Delogu (“Maine must see bigger picture on utility project”) in which he questioned my motives on why I am against the New England Clean Energy Connect Corridor. I want to explain why I am against it. First, let me make clear… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Explaining and bridging Maine’s digital divide

The things people can do from home would be unfathomable to someone 30 years ago. Those with access to broadband can further their education, utilize telehealth, engage in remote work, and connect with anyone (who also has broadband access) around the world. “It is necessary for our civic and cultural… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine must see bigger picture on utility project

When Australia lit up with wildfires and 105-plus degree temperatures, we could ignore the consequences of global warming—it was half a world away. When California, Oregon, and Washington lit up with record breaking wildfires, air temperatures that reached 120 degrees, and unhealthful drift smoke that reached Maine, the consequences of… SEE MORE