Working Waterfront

Earth Day turns 50, and it’s more complicated than ever

By Philip Conkling One of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the fates of humans across the globe are inextricably linked. Fifty years ago, the idea our lives depended on linkages with the natural world was a central part of the message of the first Earth Day and… SEE MORE

Bicycles ready to be worked on in Milbridge.

Working Waterfront

Making Washington County bicycle friendly

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 Dylan McBride A year ago, I was a college senior majoring in medieval studies with little idea of what I… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Will Portland choke on its success?

By Tom Groening What if Portland wasn’t in Maine? What if the state’s border with New Hampshire fell along the shore of the Royal River in Yarmouth, instead of along the Piscataqua? Or what if Portland were somehow transported to the area near Newburyport, Mass.? What would be lost? It’s… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine Islands Coalition—a much-needed network

By Roger Berle The Maine Islands Coalition, or MIC, was formed in 2003 when residents of some year-round Maine Coast islands felt insecure as individual communities dealing with a series of external threats. In Casco Bay at the time, proposals to build liquid natural gas terminals loomed as a major… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Is the fear about the ‘if, when’ virus unprecedented?

By Dana Wilde “This is like an atomic bomb, or worse,” Xiao Xingzheng wrote to me from his home in the island-city of Xiamen, China. This was in late March, when the covid-19 pandemic was subsiding there and intensifying here. He and his own family had, luckily, escaped illness so… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Which is more accurate—a mirror or a painting?

By Meghan Grabill When I moved here over a year ago, people asked me what connection I had to Maine. What brought me here? My response: I had visited once as a teenager on a family trip and when a job opportunity presented itself on the coast of Maine I… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Luke’s Lobster offers e-commerce for seafood

Luke’s Lobster has launched an e-commerce platform to offer a number of Luke’s seafood products direct-to-consumer. See: https://lukeslobster.getbento.com/shop-lukes/ This addition comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic as most of Luke’s Lobster shacks nationwide have temporarily closed. In an effort to keep as many jobs as possible, and support its fishermen, Luke’s… SEE MORE

The Matanuska is designed to carry 450 passengers and has a vehicle capacity of approximately 83

Working Waterfront

Stranded: Alaskan islanders see sharp cuts to ferry service

By Ari Snider Even under normal circumstances, getting to and from Tenakee Springs, a small island town in Southeast Alaska, is no cakewalk. Alaska Seaplanes flies twice daily to Juneau, the capital city, but that’ll run you upwards of $300 roundtrip, and storms can ground planes for days or even… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From March madness to marathon: seeing possibility within pandemic

By Rob Snyder Along the coast, March madness is a state of mind linked to living off diminishing savings from last summer, the uncertainty of livelihoods linked to the next tourism and lobstering seasons, isolation, and bracing for a few final snowstorms. Most years, this lasts through April. During an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rockland’s ‘rise and renewal’ documented in new history

John Bird speaks at the Farnsworth Art Museum. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN By Tom Groening Today, Rockland is a lively, commercially diverse service center. In summer, tourism dominates the downtown, thanks to the Farnsworth Art Museum, galleries, schooners, and several fine restaurants and coffee shops. The city also boasts a large… SEE MORE