Working Waterfront

The Maine coast and islands will continue to lead

Eighteen years ago, I sat for the first time on the rugged granite backside of Frenchboro, marveling at the power of the tides and the open water extending to the horizon. I appreciated then, as I do now, that I was there because of the relationships that preceded me and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fight climate change, but not with CMP corridor

The December/January issue featured a guest column by Orlando Delogu (“Maine must see bigger picture on utility project”) in which he questioned my motives on why I am against the New England Clean Energy Connect Corridor. I want to explain why I am against it. First, let me make clear… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Explaining and bridging Maine’s digital divide

The things people can do from home would be unfathomable to someone 30 years ago. Those with access to broadband can further their education, utilize telehealth, engage in remote work, and connect with anyone (who also has broadband access) around the world. “It is necessary for our civic and cultural… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

When winter gets tough, we bake cookies

Ahhhhh. November and December in the Cranberry Isles. I really don’t mind these darker months. I know the light comes back pretty quickly in January and February and there’s something very special about the pre-solstice sunsets seen from a ride home on the mailboat. Hello wool socks and old sweater friends.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

How I outwitted a dead turkey

Early on Thanksgiving morning I came downstairs to put the turkey in the oven. Elaine had asked me to do this, she having spent most of the previous day getting things ready, making pies and so forth. On the counter was a note: “Pre-heat the oven to 350. Rinse the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From crisis response to community resiliency

As the COVID storm continues to roil our coast, my thoughts return to the image of Monhegan’s Matt Weber easing his lobster boat against a large tanker, both vessels in motion, as a Penobscot Bay pilot leaps from the smaller boat to a ladder hanging from the ship, where he… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Sea sickness of another kind

People often ask me if I am a sailor. I demur, admitting only to owning a boat. I have too much awareness of and respect for real sailors to compare my level of skill. Like many mariners, I get seasick, unless the seas are calm or I am sufficiently infused… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine must see bigger picture on utility project

When Australia lit up with wildfires and 105-plus degree temperatures, we could ignore the consequences of global warming—it was half a world away. When California, Oregon, and Washington lit up with record breaking wildfires, air temperatures that reached 120 degrees, and unhealthful drift smoke that reached Maine, the consequences of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Success is a bit more than roll of the dice

The fighter is paralyzed, the mage unconscious. The rogue will be too, soon. And the undead monster is still attacking us! Desperate, the rogue seizes her herbalist’s kit. It’s not magic, but she can revive the mage. A few lucky dice rolls, the fighter is back in action and the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

What can we learn from Maine’s coastal vote?

Do elections hold a mirror to our values, fears, dreams, and desires? Or do the choices we make on the ballot drift this way and that, just as our tastes in music and films do? Both may be true. But trying to explain why people voted this way or that… SEE MORE