Volunteers and supporters celebrate WBFY/100.9 FM going on-air.

Working Waterfront

Hyperlocal radio: Belfast has new low-power radio station, joining Eastport, Rockland and Standish

Some 20 years ago, a weather-related disaster struck a small town in South Dakota, and officials wanted to reach residents with emergency information. The five radio stations heard in town were programmed remotely, pulling in music and talk via satellite dish, and so were useless in the emergency. That scenario,… SEE MORE

Newman & Gray on Great Cranberry Island.

Working Waterfront

Passing the torch—Helping next generation of boatyard owners protects jobs, access

This is the second in a three-part series about the role boat builders and boatyards play in Maine’s coastal and island economy. Boatyards, marinas and boat builders represent a large part of the state’s island and coastal economies, accounting for more than 2,200 jobs. But these businesses, often run by… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Vinalhaven participates in women’s march

The Women’s March on Washington, a concept begun by one woman and a handful of friends just after Election Day, far exceeded their expectations. Two months later, it had become the distinctly inclusive voice of an astonishing five million people from every continent and from every state in this union.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Three bridges lead to new life in Stonington

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. Dana Mark works with the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School in partnership with the Institute’s SuCCESS program, which provides… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Dish migrations dictate: put a name on it

I was having a cup of tea with my neighbor, Mary Schuch, last week as she recalled what it was like, three years ago, to move into my nephew Malcolm’s house. The house was occupied by several summer employees. She noticed that some of the dishes in the kitchen had… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The play’s the thing

One of the purposes for which I was hired to come teach on North Haven, nigh on 12 years ago, was to direct plays. The theater program, formalized by the school's relationship with John Wulp, had achieved some renown through original programming and attention paid to contemporary classics by Brecht… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

This shop crafts beautiful boats and beautiful lives

By Meghan Vigeant On a typical day at the Carpenter’s Boat Shop in Pemaquid, you might find apprentices restoring an old rowboat or sanding the hull of a Mohegan skiff. You might also find them doing things like roofing the barn, baking a mac and cheese casserole, digging beets in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

This shop crafts beautiful boats and beautiful lives

By Meghan Vigeant On a typical day at the Carpenter’s Boat Shop in Pemaquid, you might find apprentices restoring an old rowboat or sanding the hull of a Mohegan skiff. You might also find them doing things like roofing the barn, baking a mac and cheese casserole, digging beets in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Peter Ralston’s ‘Pentecost’ named Maine’s ‘most iconic’ image

You know the image. Prints have been sold on every continent but Antarctica. And you know it because it tells a story, a story that resonates both with those visiting our state and those who have lived here for generations. “Pentecost,” as Peter Ralston called the photograph he shot that… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On offshore wind, Island Institute weighs community costs, benefits

Renewable energy is critical for all of us as a response to climate-driven changes that are already impacting our fisheries and coastal infrastructure. It is important that we continue to move toward clean energy while also considering the costs inherent to energy generation. Leaders of island communities not connected to… SEE MORE