Working Waterfront

‘Steeped in grief’ as time in Maine ends

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. These are my last two months in Maine for a long time. I am nearing the end of my two… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ocean economy changing—so should conversation

Drive down any part of Route 1 and you’re bound to spot at least a few signs sporting phrases like “Save the Fishermen, Stop the Mills,” or “Stop Ocean Industrialization.” Given the challenges facing Maine’s fishing industry, it’s no surprise people are concerned about the future of their coastal communities.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Closing a rural school raises key questions

It is school budget time. For remote and rural towns, it is common for the sustainability of small schools to be in question: do the economic benefits of the school outweigh the cost to local property tax payers? On the surface, closures or consolidations often seem more cost effective. In… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering that first kiss

Some people wait for the mail ritually, gathering at the post office after the mail van arrives. They are in no hurry and talk about the weather and about the folks that come and go as soon as the door closes and they’ve come and went. One day I walked… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

What Mainers should know about energy corridor

Editor's note: The Working Waterfront has featured several opinion pieces on the corridor Central Maine Power wants to build/is building linking hydropower projects in Quebec with the New England grid. The issue is a bit out of our wheelhouse, but since renewable energy does relate to challenges for our climate… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Girls running club built connection, confidence

During the pandemic, I missed working with kids, so this spring, I registered as a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run (GOTR). An afterschool program for girls in grades 3-5, GOTR “inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident.” Throughout the season, girls meet twice weekly, growing social-emotional skills… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Portland’s ‘ReCode’ reflects climate realities

In October 1957, national newspaper headlines announced that Jimmy Hoffa had been elected president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Soviet Union had successfully launched its satellite, Sputnik 1, into Earth’s orbit. Local headlines noted the less remarkable news that the city of Portland had updated its land… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Adventures with a colonoscopy

“Have you had a colonoscopy?” asked Owen, one of our health center’s physician assistants. I was in for a mild gastric complaint. I probably rolled my eyes. I explained how I was very skeptical of the need for such a procedure. Having heard that so many of my peers were… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rituals with fire and water

So I turned 40. This was inevitable, and quite predictable—having been born in 1981, I would certainly turn 40 in 2021. But it’s still strange to say: I am now a 40-year-old woman. I remember when turning 40 was an occasion for doom and gloom. My father’s surprise 40th birthday… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The weight of Memorial Day settles on island

How interesting that Memorial Day should occur in spring. North Haven observes the day with a somber procession through the village, from the American Legion Hall to the ferry ramp. Community veterans, some in and some out of uniform, oversee the presentation of cedar-and-poppy wreaths in memory of North Haven’s… SEE MORE