Working Waterfront

Yearning for a place that’s not quite the same

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. By Ellie Mason For years now, I have been turning the term “solastalgia” over in my mind. Coined by the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Economy should focus on entrepreneurs

By Tom Groening If you had to describe Maine’s economy to someone who had never visited, what would you say? The caveat, of course, is the answer should reflect the state of the economy on, say, Jan. 1, not today. Another question, admittedly nearly impossible to answer, is: What will… SEE MORE

The 785-foot-long cruise ship Ocean Rivieria arrived at Eastport's breakwater on Sunday

Working Waterfront

Oceania Riviera dwarfs tiny Eastport

Note: This story was updated June 16. By Tom Walsh//Photos by Leslie Bowman The June 14 arrival of the 785-foot cruise ship Oceania Riviera at its temporary berth on Eastport's downtown breakwater more than quadrupled the size of the Washington County city’s tallest buildings. "There are 131 souls aboard," said Chris Gardner, executive… SEE MORE

This file image shows Bar Harbor's town landing

Working Waterfront

Governor’s order would kill Bar Harbor businesses, say owners

By Jacqueline Weaver Editor's note: Since this story was published in the June edition, Gov. Janet Mills has offered an alternative plan to the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors. Bar Harbor business owners, from restaurants and shops to hotels and vacation rentals, are reeling from an executive order by Gov.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine can vote to close the digital divide

Seventeen houses. I don’t feel our list of “needs” was unusual for first-time homebuyers. Yet, in March and April of last year, my husband and I trudged through the snow and mud in 17 dooryards to finally find the home that would become ours. It ticked the top priority boxes—right… SEE MORE

A Maine Department of Transportation dump truck pulls off of the Downeast Sunrise Trail

Working Waterfront

Machias confronts frequent tidal floods

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon State snowplows descended on Machias the morning after an April storm, but they weren’t there to remove spring snow. Instead, they plowed debris from the Machias River, deposited during a violent storm and spring tide. It was the second time in four months plows removed seaweed… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine must do better at welcoming diversity

By Rob Snyder You’ve heard it said many times: “Maine is a white state,” or maybe even, “Maine is the whitest state.” Actually, Maine is not a white state. Some 74,000 Mainers are people of color. When Mainers assert that our population includes a majority of white people, whether through statistical… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Town meeting in the time of COVID-19

By Barbara Fernald As I write today, April 6, all through our state we are experiencing similar hardships. Isolation, worry about loved ones, and changes in how we get our groceries, to name a few. Today’s COVID-19 numbers in Maine are 499 confirmed cases and ten deaths. We watch the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The wonder of getting along with my neighbors

By Phil Crossman Given the same wildly divergent opinions that exist elsewhere, and are unmistakably present here as well, I’m impressed at how well we on the island mostly get along. Many of the people with whom I once shared childhoods and then adolescence and then the rest of our… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island education: more than picturesque schools

By Katie Norton Growing up in a small town in Western Maine, I’ve known the feeling of community my whole life, where Hannaford grocery aisles are meeting places and hot dogs are shared at Friday night football games. But I came to know community in a different way when I… SEE MORE