Working Waterfront

Fishing community’s students put on a play

Ian Watkins is an Island Fellow, a participant in a two-year service program operated by AmeriCorps and the Island Institute, doing community development work on islands and remote coastal communities. Watkins works on Deer Isle and the Downeast coast with high school students. By Ian Watkins Just the other week,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islesboro approves special deer hunt

By Tom Groening At a special town meeting on June 11, voters approved a plan that would allow hunters who live or own land on the island to take an unlimited number of deer from mid-December to the end of February. The plan, which carried in a 45-27 vote, is… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Racism, radical politics: Breaking family expectations resolves in new book

Note: An earlier version of this story contained an error, misidentifying presidential candidate Henry Wallace. It's been a life marked by following his heart, even when that meant being spurned by his family. In an era when it was not fashionable, and maybe even dangerous to do, North Haven native… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Right price, bad memory, but good time had

By Phil Crossman Last year, having seen the Tidewater Motel featured on the Today show, the producers from the The Price is Right called to ask if I could put together an interesting package the show could offer as a prize. I did. I offered them a week's waterfront lodging,… SEE MORE

A schooner sails past the tanks in South Portland on a late May Saturday.

Working Waterfront

Is a Portland cell tower killing fish?

Complied by Tom Groening Are the radio waves from a cell tower killing fish? As odd as that question sounds, it's being taken seriously by the Portland school system, the Portland Press-Herald reports. The cell tower in question is on the roof of Deering High School, and a biology teacher… SEE MORE

Vinalhaven school students and staff start to congregate outside around the trash collage and spend some time considering all the trash they collected.

Working Waterfront

Vinalhaven’s trash collage teaches lessons on litter

By Kris Osgood Small island schools often struggle to match what bigger mainland schools do: fielding sports teams, filling out bands, casting plays. But small island schools offer opportunities that might be out of the question for mainland schools. Last May, the Vinalhaven School participated in one such undertaking. "Why… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Tourism promotion should understand Downeast’s needs

By Michael Morse In 2004, my wife and I bought an 1887 brick building in downtown Eastport. We knew that it would take a lot of work to turn it into the gallery that we envisioned. Many of the buildings in town were empty and some were boarded up.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Crossing has been essential, symbolic of my experience

Editor's note: Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront, and AmeriCorps. Maddey Gates has been helping with elder care efforts on four islands. To reach an island, you… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Parsing the ‘It’s not bad, it’s different’ sentiment

The comment was poignant, maybe reflecting resignation, maybe reflecting sadness. A native of Lubec, speaking about the changes she's seen since her days working in a sardine packing plant ended years ago, described a community where she no longer knows most everyone. The Lubec of years ago was a place… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The faces of My Island tell their stories

Patrisha McLean's My Island is a celebration of summer and year-round Maine island children, with more than 100 duotone portraits. The 160-page book—five years and countless ferry rides in the making, she says—is distributed by Islandport Press and is a follow-up to Maine Street, the award-winning 2010 book celebrating the… SEE MORE