Working Waterfront

Stonington rejects one property purchase, approves another

At their town meeting on March 7, Stonington residents voted to reject a proposal to purchase the Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Home property on Thurlow’s Hill for $250,000. The property would have added about 25 parking spaces in town for the many tourists who flock to the area each summer. The proposal… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Closed municipal landfills become solar electricity plants

About three miles west of Belfast’s downtown is a piece of land the city once considered essentially useless: the capped landfill on Pitcher Road. Today, that landfill is an unexpected boon to the city. On the last day of 2015, Belfast became the first municipality in Maine to put into… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Where on the coast?

This week's mystery harbor is located in the southern third of Maine's coast. It's on an island, but an island that is easily visited. We will send a copy of the 2015 Island Journal to the first five people who correctly identify the location and contact us at WhereOnTheCoast@gmail.com. SEE MORE

Community

Working Waterfront

Moderating town meeting an honor and challenge

When I remember the town meetings I’ve attended while living in the Cranberry Isles, I think about the past moderators. Wilfred Bunker, Al Gray, David Stainton, Francis Stanley, Herman Savage and Hugh Dwelley are the names that come to mind, though there may be some I’ve forgotten. Men who were… SEE MORE

Students from the Swan's Island Elementary School examine some of the artifacts Abbe Museum educator George Neptune brought to his presentation.

Working Waterfront

Island community learns about ‘People of the Dawn’

What was the currency used by our native peoples? Wampum, right? Not so fast. George Neptune, an educator with the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, offered a different explanation for the seashells that were found in most native cultures. Neptune, a member of the Passamaquoddy tribe, spoke to school children… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Where on the coast?

Can you identify this coastal scene? Two hints: It's on an island, and a closer look at the boat at the upper right might help you indetify which island. To the first five to email us the correct location (the name of the town will do) at WhereOnTheCoast@gmail.com we'll send a… SEE MORE

Community

Working Waterfront

Where on the coast?

Can you identify this week's "mystery harbor"? Here's a hint: It's most certainly on an island. If you think you know the answer, email us at: whereonthecoast@gmail.com. We'll send a copy of the 2015 Island Journal to the first five to correctly identify the island. SEE MORE

A 1970s-vintage postcard showing Beals Island.

Working Waterfront

Greetings from Maine!

If Maine is indeed "Vacationland," the state should be well-documented in postcards. And it is, as can be seen in Maine Memories: A Vintage Postcard Tour, by John Brunkowski and Michael Closen. SEE THE SLIDESHOW The couple had visited Maine in their RV for about 30 years, Closen says, "and… SEE MORE

Heather Leslie of the Darling Marine Center.

Working Waterfront

Coastal waters monitoring training offered at Darling Marine Center

The University of Maine Darling Marine Center in Walpole will host a coastal and estuarine monitoring workshop on Sunday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aquaculturists, fishermen, researchers, teachers, citizen scientists, coastal residents, community groups and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. No previous training is required. The… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

It’s all part of the deal

One weekend in January, my husband went away for an Island Institute conference. I planned a fun girls night dinner with a friend and my daughter, with calzones and homemade cookies and ice cream on the agenda. Midway through calzone making, my daughter, who had been running around moments before,… SEE MORE