Working Waterfront

Harbor Gawker says goodbye

PHOTO ESSAY BY COURTNEY MOONEY The Harbor Gawker has been a fixture in Vinalhaven’s village center, just a stone’s throw from the harbor, since 1975. That was the year owners Lonnie and Kathy Morton were married. Later, the couple later bought the business from Lonnie's parents, John and Barbara Morton, who… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Nantucket as symbol of undesirable island fate

By Tom Groening A year ago, my wife and I returned to Nantucket to celebrate our 35th anniversary. It was our first time back since I began working at the Island Institute, and so it was with different eyes that I took in the beauty, the history, the wealth, and… SEE MORE

Eastport's rebuild breakwater shelters fishing boats.

Working Waterfront

New Eastport breakwater ready to welcome marine activity

By Jacqueline Weaver Finishing touches on the new $15 million breakwater in Eastport were due to be completed Nov. 1 with the installation of floats alongside a new pier that provides access to everything from cruise ships to fishing boats. Construction of the 100-foot-by-400-foot pier began following a catastrophic collapse of… SEE MORE

Rockweed landed at a boat yard in Hancock.

Working Waterfront

Compromise possible in rockweed harvesting lawsuit

By Merritt Carey, Sean Mahoney, Tim Glidden, and Shep Erhart Lawsuits have a tendency to box parties in; they don’t allow for the nuances, complexities, and compromises that make up the realities of life, particularly life on Maine’s working waterfront. A lawsuit filed by three landowners in Washington County in… SEE MORE

The former sardine packing plant in Prospect Harbor is now a lobster processing facility.

Working Waterfront

Gouldsboro, South Portland look to redefine waterfronts

The 2010 closure of the Stinson sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor and the layoffs of scores of workers sparked fears about this small town’s economic well-being. But since 2012, the facility has been operating as Maine Fair Trade Lobster, a joint effort of East Coast Seafood and Garbo Lobster. In… SEE MORE

The 2017-2018 Island Fellow class; Ken Gross is at far left.

Working Waterfront

How to see Millinocket as an island

Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Millinocket is not an island. Henry David Thoreau, who visited here three times in the 1840s and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Waves of change in Boothbay Harbor, Popham

The broad sands of Popham Beach have been battered by storms in recent years, diminishing the distance between dunes and the ocean. But according to a story in the Bangor Daily News, “a new torrent of change is buffeting Popham, this time spawned by the confluence of aging local dynasties… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

North Haven Foundation marks 50th anniversary

North Haven robotics enthusiasts, parents of preschoolers, students pursuing post-secondary education, and adults pursuing professional certificates know they can look to one community non-profit for support: the North Haven Foundation. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the foundation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting education on and off the island, and looked to… SEE MORE

The new pavilion at the Isle au Haut Cooperative Store

Working Waterfront

Update from Isle au Haut: store is thriving again

By Rachel Harris The board of directors of the Isle au Haut Cooperative Store wants readers to know about our latest community developments. We just completed our first year hosting the Lobster Lady food truck business, which served lunch on the store property. The arrangement benefited both businesses and, together,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fall’s harvest on the islands is self-serve

Two of the things I really appreciate about the island this year are the plentitude of apples everywhere and the fact that my own garden still has a few things to offer. My cherry tomatoes are ripening on cue and my larger tomato plants still show some promise. There are plenty… SEE MORE