An artist's rendering of what the new Machias dike on Route 1 would look like.

Working Waterfront

Stakeholders find common vision for Machias dike

Revolutionary War-era patriots once captured a British sloop, the H.M.S. Margaretta, in Machias Bay, then sailed the vessel high up the Middle River, hiding it there near the abundant salt grasses which attracted settlers to Machias in the first place. Today, a dike and causeway span the point where the… SEE MORE

Green Moors Inn, between Portsmouth and York. PHOTO: COURTESY MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

Working Waterfront

Maine’s Route 1: The tourist highway

When then-Gov. Angus King coined the “Maine… The Way Life Should Be” slogan, a friend in Belfast manufactured coffee cups that included the phrase on one side. On the other side, it read: “Belfast… The Way It Is.” If those Jeff Dobbs aerial videos in which stunning footage reveals the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Understanding seasons with island perspective

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. In the dead of winter, Chebeague Island becomes very quiet. Restaurants and organizations reduce their hours or close entirely, and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A roadway reminiscence

A few weeks ago, my wife and I happened to be driving on the Maine Turnpike between Lewiston and Augusta. It had been a long time since we’d traveled that stretch of highway, because living in Belfast, the logical route south is Route 3 to Augusta to I-95, then I-295… SEE MORE

Artist's rendering of land-based portion of salmon farm proposed for Frenchman Bay.

Working Waterfront

Is Maine hosting the best aquaculture technology?

Maine’s coast is witnessing multiple plans for large aquaculture projects, including two new sites planned for Frenchman Bay, in addition to those in Belfast, Bucksport, and Jonesport. For some, the possibility of jobs and tax revenue from industrial-sized aquaculture is appealing. The success of these plans, however, is dependent upon… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the St. George peninsula, education continued

When schools closed in March 2020, the doors to a new after-school program in St. George also closed. In the latter half of its first year, the Blueberry Cove 4H after-school program had finally gotten its feet under itself. The program was formed as a response to families needing reliable,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobstermen’s Association sues over whale rules

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association filed a lawsuit in early September against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Secretary of Commerce in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the federal government’s ten‐year whale protection plan. The suit claims the plan will all but eliminate the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An island field of dreams

This summer, my ten-year-old grandson and ten other kids about his own age, encouraged by a large group of conspiratorial island adults, poured a pitcher of ice water over the head of an older island man who certainly had it coming. In 1998, after too many years during which Vinalhaven… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islands celebrate the Fourth with picnics

Both Little and Great Cranberry Islands will be celebrating the 4th of July this year with community picnics. On the big island the picnic starts at high noon. Everyone is invited to bring their own lunch and utensils to the ball field. The Ladies Aid will provide lemonade, iced tea,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Feds limit lobstering to protect right whales

A long-anticipated ruling by the National Marine Fisheries Service aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale was issued Aug. 30. The ruling impacts Maine’s signature fishery on several fronts. The key components mean lobster fishermen with federal permits can no longer set traps using vertical buoy lines from… SEE MORE