Working Waterfront

Can both sides win in the battle over the waterfront?

By Tom Groening Now that I have six years under my belt here at the Island Institute, I’ve begun—cautiously—to accept a few speaking engagements, holding forth on the topic of the working waterfront. My presentation is very much a work in progress, and I begin by disclosing that I am… SEE MORE

An aerial view of the business location.

Working Waterfront

Vessel Services: Where fishing boats go to shop

By William Hall Despite its three-story ice-making plant at the seaward end of the Portland Fish Pier, Vessel Services Inc. is almost invisible to passers-by at the other end, along bustling Commercial Street. But for crews of the two dozen groundfishing craft and 100 or so lobster boats that operate… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Blue Hill grows a second downtown

PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN An aerial view of the South Street commercial district, just west of Blue Hill village. By Laurie Schreiber The Blue Hill Co-op is on track to move from cramped quarters on a complicated downtown corner to a much larger and custom-designed space a mile to the east,… SEE MORE

Mixed use or conflicting uses? An early winter scene in Boothbay Harbor captures the fishing industry’s presence along with nearby tourism-related buildings.

Working Waterfront

The last fisherman?

Analysis by Edgar Allen Beem When it comes to the working waterfront, there always seems to be someone with a big idea that doesn’t quite fit with existing ordinances and practices. Recently, a pair of hotel proposals had residents of Boothbay Harbor and Portland wrestling with the endless challenge of… SEE MORE

A cruise ship at Eastport's breakwater pier.

Working Waterfront

And there are cruise ships, too, in Eastport

By Tom Walsh Cruise ship traffic can be both a blessing and a curse for Maine ports. Visitors who come ashore—at times thousands of passengers and crew—represent millions of dollars in local seasonal revenues. The same visitors can also overwhelm a small community, as has happened in Bar Harbor. Eastport’s… SEE MORE

Wind turbine blades stacked at the Port of Eastport.

Working Waterfront

Putting the ‘port’ back in Eastport

By Tom Walsh Maine’s Downeast coastline is so far north and so far east that northern Europe seems just over the horizon. Which it is. Washington County’s Port of Eastport is among three deep-water ports on the Maine coast. The two others are in Portland and Searsport. Eastport’s Port Authority… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Energy leaders urge new governor to focus on transportation

TOM GROENING Participants at a December energy conference discuss issues during a break-out session. By Tom Groening Even before newly elected Gov. Janet Mills stepped into the room, participants in the Acadia Center’s Dec. 7 conference were buzzing about what they believe will be an administration receptive to bold new… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Shetterly’s Seaweed Chronicles explores history of plunder

Review by Carl Little One April day some 25 years ago, fine mesh fyke nets suddenly appeared in the estuary that leads to the Somesville Mill Pond. The market for elvers—glass eels favored by Japanese diners—had exploded, with astronomical per-pound prices driving the new fishery. As they had with urchins,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

ReVision Energy is reinventing energy economy

TOM GROENING John Luft opens a box of photovoltaic panels at ReVision Energy’s Liberty shop. By Tom Groening You might be tempted to see the success of ReVision Energy as the case of a business stepping up to land an obvious windfall. After all, renewable energy equipment is a hot… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Cape Cod’s housing crisis informs Maine coast

By Tom Groening For many New Englanders, Cape Cod is a beach-rimmed vacation destination. But it also may be understood as a canary in the coal mine. The Maine coast and Cape Cod differ in many ways, but one thing they share is a housing market pressured by seasonal residency… SEE MORE