Category: Community

An aerial view of West Street in Bar Harbor shows the prominence of the West Street Hotel

Working Waterfront

Spiffed up or over-developed?

BAR HARBOR — Artist and business owner Sherry Rasmussen remembers, in the 1970s, taking her puppy for a romp at the sand bar off Bar Harbor. A 20-something traveling by VW van, she was new in town, proudly sporting a pair of L.L. Bean boat shoes. On this nice day,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ogunquit lawns go organic

It will be a spring like no other in the small oceanside community of Ogunquit, after voters passed an ordinance in November banning the use of non-organic pesticides and herbicides on private lands. Voters passed a similar ban on synthetic pesticide and herbicide use on public lands in 2009. The… SEE MORE
A line forms outside the Peaks Island Inn during Memorial Day Weekend 2014.

Working Waterfront

Peaks Island braces for visitors, cars and carts

  It's an oft-repeated, but inaccurate statistic—Peaks Island has never seen 1 million visitors, nor will it likely see that many this summer. But the island, with a year-round population of about 900, does see several hundred thousand visitors each year, staying for the day, overnight, a week or several… SEE MORE
A bike rack near the shore in Harpswell.

Working Waterfront

Bath, Brunswick thinking bike links

With summer (believe it or not) approaching, many coastal communities are gearing up for road projects. Increasingly, these projects incorporate components for bicyclists, but coastal towns and cities often have to get creative to make their communities bicycle friendly. Take Bath and Brunswick, both designated "bike friendly communities" by the… SEE MORE
Vinalhaven girls defend.

Working Waterfront

The rewards of coaching and being coached

Kelsey Byrd 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. When I first moved to Vinalhaven a year and half ago, I was excited to help coach the high school… SEE MORE
Sitka

Working Waterfront

Oil price dip is Alaska’s pain

Sitka, Alaska is firmly anchored to the western shore of snow-capped Baranof Island. At just under 9,000 people, it is the fifth largest city in a state of 750,000. Alaska's rural libertarian character echoes Maine's. A welcome dinner invitation immersed me among community members who had come together to share… SEE MORE
Diane Cowan

Working Waterfront

Stranded by choice

When lobster scientist Diane Cowan heard that friends planned to airlift a box of goodies to her on Friendship Long Island, where she's been stranded since Jan. 30 due to extreme ice conditions, she broke into laughter. "I thought it was hilarious," said Cowan in a cellphone interview from the… SEE MORE