Working Waterfront

Why Maine towns are going ‘age friendly’

By Patricia Oh Maine’s older residents aren’t waiting around, hoping that someone will make their towns and cities more livable. They are using their knowledge, skills, and creativity to spearhead a national movement to make Maine communities great places to live for all ages—from toddlers to centenarians. Sixty-six Maine cities… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Moments behind the scenes

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 Dan DeBord When editor Tom Groening asked me to write this column, he suggested I might write about the photography… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Frenchboro deli gets caffeinated

Story by Jennifer Helman Photos by Dale Joyce Classically trained gourmet chef. Coffee connoisseur. World traveler. Entrepreneur. These words could describe any number of people in Boston or even Portland, but you might be surprised to find one on the tiny island of Frenchboro. Like many people who move to a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island communities are fragile, but Great Cranberry remains strong

By Laurie Schreiber Twenty years ago, Great Cranberry Island had a year-round population of just 37 people, mostly age 50 or older. There were no children living on the island and the school was closed. There was a whisper going around: How long would Great Cranberry remain viable as a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Eastport is a town that gives

By Pierre Woog Eastport is a generous place. There is a constant buzz of acts of charity from fundraisers and appeals. Most contribute time or money through organizations and/or individually. Volunteering is a credo of this small city. We give to agencies devoted to do good works, be it the nursing home… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Talking to the tourists

By Tom Groening I was walking to the coffee shop in Rockland last summer, weaving my way through the sidewalk full of tourists, when I saw a short, bald man in his 70s staring across the street at the marquee on The Strand, a theater that shows films and hosts… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The simplicity is seductive, the complexity is the price paid

Complicated Simplicity: Island Life in the Pacific Northwest By Joy Davis (2019) Review by Tina Cohen Author Joy Davis, who directed the museum and heritage programs at the University of Victoria, has written a book jam-packed with useful things to consider if exploring a move to an island residence. It’s… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Ben Fowlie of the Camden International Film Festival

By Ari Snider Ben Fowlie is the executive and artistic director of the Points North Institute and the cofounder of the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF), which is entering its 15th year. He spoke with The Working Waterfront about the festival, documentary filmmaking, and how it fits into life in Midcoast Maine. … SEE MORE

Island Ad-Vantages publisher and editor Nat Barrows at his typewriter in the early years.

Working Waterfront

Fifty years at the intersection of community and journalism

“People, events, and writing of them is my bag. A weekly newspaper is an ideal way—if used to its proper potential—to do this. You are or should be at the center of the action, be able to become familiar with the business and personal interests of the people in your… SEE MORE

Kelly Corson has seen considerable success at The Travelin Lobster

Working Waterfront

Town Hill: MDI’s up-and-coming hub

By Laurie Schreiber Bar Harbor is a booming tourist town on Mount Desert Island, for the millions of people visiting Acadia National Park each year. Other towns on the island get their share of visitors, too. But in recent years, the village of Town Hill has quietly gained ground as… SEE MORE