Working Waterfront

Historic buildings live on

Not long ago—well, I guess that just because I remember it doesn't mean it wasn't long ago—Vinalhaven’s downtown was an architectural wonderland, lorded over by three Second Empire Victorian structures, each three stories, and a fourth building, marginally more magnificent, but lacking the Victorian’s mansard. This fourth edifice was the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Raspberry bounty leads to recipe

Seven or eight years ago I asked my neighbor Mary, who was off island at Surry Gardens to buy some plants, if she would pick up three small raspberry bushes for me. It has always been my dream to have a raspberry patch in my own yard, one that would… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The evolution of taste

Flavor matters so much when we eat. Cooks sample as they go along to make sure the seasoning is just right, that the balance of salt, sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, and umami is pleasing. Still, each of us experiences flavor in highly personal ways, hence, “De gustibus, non disputandum est.”… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Oh for a life on the rolling sea…

First things first: I have to express my gratitude to all of you who reached out after my last column. I did, very fortunately, find out that my biopsy was benign. I also learned a lot about how commonly experienced, and how terrifying, this process is for so many people.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

History, fiction tell tale of escaping slavery

The plantation they bought was outside the city along the St. Johns River, part of an escape route for runaways. Dr. Mitchell had trouble building a medical practice as his opposition to slavery set him apart. He gained acceptance after helping locals fight off a Yellow Fever epidemic. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bike and walk to a better climate future

Climate change arguably is one of the biggest challenges we face as a nation, as a world. It is a challenge that does not have a single solution, but requires us to deploy a wide range of actions to drastically reduce global warming, pollution, and to prepare for the climate… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Let’s be real about crime anxiety

A couple of months ago I saw a news item about human remains being discovered in Gorham, just west of Portland. I looked for the follow-up story, and it turned out the remains were traced to someone who had recently gone missing and no “foul play” was suspected. What interested… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Saving our safe passage sentinels

It took an act of Congress and some well-placed support from then Sen. George Mitchell to seal the deal, resulting in the transfer of 27 lighthouses into caring hands. SEE MORE

Philip Frey’s “Ready for Lessons” (2023), oil on linen, 30 by 40 inches. PHOTO: COURTESY PHILIP FREY

Working Waterfront

Philip Frey on Hancock Point

The result is a paean to summer, to the quiet that follows a day of waterfront activities. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An honest look at idyllic island life

I'm always grateful for my email deliveries of The Working Waterfront. The edition with Island Institute Fellow Katie Liberman's column was especially poignant (Reflections, “A stark reminder of the need to support our children”). My husband and I live on Roosevelt Island in New York City and have summered on… SEE MORE