Dock jumping is a favorite summer activity on Long Island.

Working Waterfront

Why Long Island seceded from Portland

By Mark Greene Were you wondering how Long Island is doing 25 years after seceding from the city of Portland? Well, we’ll offer a polite answer: Not bad, thank you. On the surface many folks still think of the Long Island secession as a tax revolt and one could make… SEE MORE

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

Bailey Island and Orr's Island in Harpswell are known for their scenic vistas.

Working Waterfront

Mythic summers on Bailey Island

… So that’s how it is out there in Maine. Be careful out there – Patricia Ranzoni, “Cultural Guide” The southwest tip of Bailey Island is called Land’s End, for good reason. Just off the gift shop parking lot, the other side of Jaquish Island, is the open ocean.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The search for topic leaves trail of island life

People sometimes ask me how I decide what to write about. Today, on deadline, I’ve got only a vague thought I had last week while picking up groceries after a trip to see my grandson in Baltimore. Maybe by trying to answer the question, I’ll be able to finish my… SEE MORE

The Islesboro ferry lands on the island.

Working Waterfront

Planning for my apocalypse pantry

It isn’t the zombie apocalypse yet, but it’s a good dry run for one. My car-and-driver ticket on the ferry from Islesboro to Lincolnville went from $13.75 to $30. Fortunately, I never did have a need to go to the mainland all that often anyway, and when I did, the… SEE MORE

The Trevett Country Store as it looks today.

Working Waterfront

Trevett store still going strong

The Trevett store in a 1939 photo from the Library of Congress collection. We received several reader responses to our question about the photo on page 9 in the June issue. The 1939 photo, from the Library of Congress, showed the post office and general store in Trevett, part… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Vulnerability is both scary and empowering

Reflections is 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 By Tarah Waters Picture this: nine girls age 11 to 14, three adult leaders in their 20s, and tents pitched… 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

The town parking lot after a storm surge in 2015 storm.

Working Waterfront

Damariscotta improves waterfront in face of rising seas

Damariscotta is moving forward with projects aimed at improving its waterfront. The work comes despite the Jan. 4 “king tide,” the highest tide of the year, and the associated storm surge which flooded a municipal parking lot and the lower levels of two downtown businesses. Improvements include a new facility… 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