Working Waterfront

A woman’s place on the working waterfront

Story and photos by Kelli Park From hand-hauling lobster traps to selling more than 10 million pounds of bait annually, Jennie Bichrest knows the working waterfront inside out. This summer, as the lobster industry faces a shortage of herring, the bait of choice, her business—Purse Line Bait—is playing a critical… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A commissioner for changing times

By Rob Snyder When Patrick Keliher assumes his place at the front of the room, he does so humbly. His smile projects calm, his eyes look knowingly from behind wire rimmed glasses, and his jeans and flannel shirt are unassuming. He has the perfect presence to serve as Maine’s commissioner… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The ‘mostly’ universal allure of water

By Phil Crossman My mother was possessed of a resolute conviction that people were good. Certainly, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, she felt my three younger brothers and I were clear examples, obedient youngsters whose first concern was to behave ourselves and do nothing that would meet with… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine’s right whale plan is due by September

By Susie Arnold The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) will submit a proposal to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in September outlining how the state’s lobster fishery will reduce its risk of entangling endangered North Atlantic Right Whales by 60 percent. Failure to submit a plan that meets… SEE MORE

A view of the Spruce Head Fisherman’s Co-op in South Thomaston. The co-op will benefit from funding from the Land for Maine’s Future Program.

Working Waterfront

Sustaining Maine’s working waterfront

The Land for Maine’s Future Board has selected six projects that will help protect and sustain Maine’s working waterfront. Through the Working Waterfront Access Protection Program, funds have been set aside to purchase development rights, through a legally binding agreement between the state and working waterfront owners, which will ensure… SEE MORE

The top of Cadillac Mountain on a busy summer day.

Working Waterfront

A coastal conundrum—taxes or tourism?

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon Acadia National Park broke records this summer when more than 35,000 people visited on a single day. The increased traffic led to near-constant road and parking lot closures and, according to the National Park Service, an unprecedented number of emergencies. In just ten years, Acadia’s visitation… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Beaches are soft frontline in the climate change war

By Tom Groening The sunny, vacation-vibe we associate with beaches was doused like a pelting thunderstorm at the 12th Beaches Conference in Kittery on June14. Instead of swimming and sunbathing, the gathering addressed the dire realities of sea level rise, unprecedentedly big storms, and dying marshes. “Why invest in Main Street… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine Boat & Home Show showcases state’s best boats

Whether it’s to look at a boat or to buy one (or just spend a nice day out on the waterfront), the Maine Boat & Home Show, on the Rockland waterfront August 9-11, is the place to be. The show is the largest of its kind north of Newport, Rhode… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bucksport’s not-so-overnight transformation

By Susan Lessard The path Bucksport took from “mill town” to something else—including becoming the planned home of a land-based salmon farm and an annex of Maine Maritime Academy—began more than 20 years ago. Local government leaders began setting aside funds for the possible “rainy day” that would come if… SEE MORE

Jeff Gammelin points out the qualities of the granite.

Working Waterfront

Rocking the granite business

By Laurie Schreiber The sprawling shops at Freshwater Stone—22,000 square feet on 20 acres in Orland—are filled with the sound of industrial machinery, including wire saws and multiple-axis bridge saws, cutting into massive blocks of granite weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Digitally operated, the machinery produces slabs and complex… SEE MORE