Working Waterfront

North Haven Mercantile selling island-made goods

Shopping options in downtown North Haven have expanded, thanks to two creative entrepreneurs. The North Haven Mercantile, a showcase for island-made goods, has opened its doors. The brainchild of Carrie Brezzo, the designer behind Able Jane Clothing (formerly CarrieSewFancy), and Laura Serino, a writer and the owner of Island Apothecary,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Soft-shell clam population decline calls for cooperation

By Susie Arnold, Jessica Gribbon Joyce and Roger Stephenson Mainers likely have heard about the precipitous decline in soft-shell clam landings over the last five years. While the fishery remains the third most valuable fishery in the state at over $12 million, licenses have declined over the last several decades… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Let’s give our service center towns a hand

When I first began working in downtown Belfast in the late 1980s, I noticed an odd trend. On Fridays, it was a lot harder to find a parking space than it was on Mondays. As I paid more attention to this phenomenon, I began noticing that people who I knew… SEE MORE

Cars fill the parking spaces at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

Working Waterfront

Reservations for Acadia visits top proposal in plan

A reservation system for visiting Acadia National Park is among the top proposals in the National Park Service’s draft transportation plan, released April 26. The plan has been in the works since 2015, due to traffic congestion from increased visitation. On the weekend of July 4, 2017, for example, the… SEE MORE

A crew member cleans balconies on a cruise ship docked at Portland’s Ocean Gateway in 2014.

Working Waterfront

CruiseMaine evaluating potential, impact

The cruise ship industry’s growing interest in visiting Maine’s harbor towns is being hailed as opportunity by some, and branded as threat by others. While communities like Bar Harbor and Rockland are debating the relative merits of this part of the tourism economy, there’s no denying its size and impact.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Strategies sharpened for bringing faster internet

Municipalities have power to control their own destinies. That was one theme to emerge from the Maine Broadband Coalition’s May 31 conference at Thomas College in Waterville. The conference drew representatives from communities around the state hoping to improve internet speed to match 21st century uses of the web. Providers… SEE MORE

Fuel tanks sit close to the water during a high-tide event in Lincolnville Beach.

Working Waterfront

Mounting weather disaster costs make case for preparation

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. There were 16 separate weather and climate disaster events topping $1 billion in recovery costs in the U.S. in 2017, with a cumulative cost exceeding $300 billion. It clear that it’s cheaper to prepare and minimize the clean-up rather than… SEE MORE

A view from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

Working Waterfront

Tourism to Acadia spurred $284 million in economic benefits

A National Park Service report shows that Acadia National Park’s 3.5 million visits in 2017 resulted in $284 million in spending in the local region. That spending supported about 4,163 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $338 million. Chart shows Acadia-related spending, year by year.… SEE MORE

Jennifer Helman and Dale Joyce are the new owners of the Harbor Watch Inn.

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island motel has new owners

If you visit Swan’s Island for a weekend getaway, don’t expect much nightlife. Unless, that is, your idea of night life is a peaceful early evening stroll down a quiet road to the shore, or a short drive to the lighthouse to watch the sunset. For one thing, the sale… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering the ‘improbable’ Harbor Gawker

On Oct. 1 of last year, a man with no legs and just a few fingers put together one of several final meals at one of coastal Maine’s iconic—and most improbable—seafood restaurants. It was a haddock and havarti sandwich, which I enjoyed and with a gusto that I’d reserved over the… SEE MORE