Working Waterfront

Oysters—from delicacy to staple?

By Kelli Park Emily Selinger has made it her mission to change the way we look at oysters, one farm-share at a time. Selinger spent her childhood on the Harraseeket River in Freeport, where she fell in love with working on the water. She taught sailing classes at a young… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Penobscot Marine Museum hosts Maine Marine Fare conference on Sept. 28

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Penobscot Marine Museum’s Maine Marine Fare takes a closer look at the state of Maine fisheries with a full day conference. The classic image of a Maine fisherman is the lobsterman who owns and operations his own boat with a small crew. While this is still the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Why Maine towns are going ‘age friendly’

By Patricia Oh Maine’s older residents aren’t waiting around, hoping that someone will make their towns and cities more livable. They are using their knowledge, skills, and creativity to spearhead a national movement to make Maine communities great places to live for all ages—from toddlers to centenarians. Sixty-six Maine cities… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Frenchboro deli gets caffeinated

Story by Jennifer Helman Photos by Dale Joyce Classically trained gourmet chef. Coffee connoisseur. World traveler. Entrepreneur. These words could describe any number of people in Boston or even Portland, but you might be surprised to find one on the tiny island of Frenchboro. Like many people who move to a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island communities are fragile, but Great Cranberry remains strong

By Laurie Schreiber Twenty years ago, Great Cranberry Island had a year-round population of just 37 people, mostly age 50 or older. There were no children living on the island and the school was closed. There was a whisper going around: How long would Great Cranberry remain viable as a… SEE MORE

A right whale entangled in what is believed to be Canadian crab gear.

Working Waterfront

Canadians also working to protect right whales

By Craig Idlebrook In response to an unexpectedly deadly summer for the North American right whale population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Canadian government, conservationists, and fishermen are racing to put in place new measures to prevent ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements for the critically endangered mammal.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Talking to the tourists

By Tom Groening I was walking to the coffee shop in Rockland last summer, weaving my way through the sidewalk full of tourists, when I saw a short, bald man in his 70s staring across the street at the marquee on The Strand, a theater that shows films and hosts… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fishing, college go hand-in-work-glove for this teen

By Tom Groening Danielle Weaver blows up stereotypes about slacker teens. The young woman has been lobstering since she was 13, works several shifts weekly at the busy Rock City coffee shop in Rockland, and, at 19, has already completed enough courses at the University of Maine at Augusta’s Rockland… SEE MORE

Island Ad-Vantages publisher and editor Nat Barrows at his typewriter in the early years.

Working Waterfront

Fifty years at the intersection of community and journalism

“People, events, and writing of them is my bag. A weekly newspaper is an ideal way—if used to its proper potential—to do this. You are or should be at the center of the action, be able to become familiar with the business and personal interests of the people in your… SEE MORE

Kelly Corson has seen considerable success at The Travelin Lobster

Working Waterfront

Town Hill: MDI’s up-and-coming hub

By Laurie Schreiber Bar Harbor is a booming tourist town on Mount Desert Island, for the millions of people visiting Acadia National Park each year. Other towns on the island get their share of visitors, too. But in recent years, the village of Town Hill has quietly gained ground as… SEE MORE