Michael Kerr is a psychiatrist on Islesboro who has written a book about his work on Murray Bowen’s family systems theories.

Working Waterfront

Breaking family ties that bind us to bad behavior

By Tom Groening The image of a patient laying on a psychiatrist’s couch, telling the doctor that his mother never loved him and his father was too demanding, is a familiar one in our popular culture. Another image comes to mind after hearing Islesboro’s Dr. Michael Kerr explain the theories… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Waiting with ‘baited’ breath

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. By Dan Debord First, there was the early morning wakeup, lying in bed, wide-awake with anticipation, for an hour until… SEE MORE

A view of Mount Desert Island from Great Cranberry Island

Working Waterfront

National Park Service wades into worker housing issue

By Tom Walsh Maine’s uncounted thousands of seasonal workers on our coast are largely invisible. Nonetheless, they are essential cogs in the machine that makes possible the substantial revenues left behind by millions of visitors to Acadia National Park and other waterfront tourist destinations. Hotels, motels, B&Bs, restaurants, bars, gift… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ferry service cuts late boat to and from Vinalhaven

By Tom Groening Citing safety concerns and the need to comply with federal regulations, the Maine State Ferry Service has adopted changes in policy and schedule. One sweeping change across the service—which links Matinicus, Vinalhaven, North Haven, Islesboro, Swan’s Island, and Frenchboro to the mainland—will mean passengers in their cars… SEE MORE

Volunteers pitch in to work on the store building.

Working Waterfront

Lots in store for Isle au Haut’s store

By Molly Siegel It is a clear September day and the sounds of paint scrapers, nail guns, and hammers ring out across the Isle au Haut Thorofare. Volunteers have been working for two days to make much-needed improvements to the community’s Island Store Co-op. With tasks ranging from stripping old… SEE MORE

A man rows to the dock on Islesford in late autumn of 2017.

Working Waterfront

A new approach to the ‘sweet decline’ time

By Barbara Fernald This year, as I anticipated my annual sense of melancholy for first two weeks of September, I realized something was different. I could easily summon an aching loneliness, but it was not ever-present. I had spent the summer finding ways to cope with my grief over several… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ellsworth adds walkability to residential, commercial upgrades

By Laurie Schreiber Ellsworth is experiencing a surge of development propelled both by the city and commercial interests. The Jackson Laboratory recently opened its new mouse production facility in a former Lowe’s building that was repurposed with state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology. Attracted in part by the promise of several hundred… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island intangibles marked first year on North Haven

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. By Maria Keeler It is an inherently slow process to incorporate yourself into a community, to listen to what others… SEE MORE

Bajupa at Journey's End boatyard in Rockland.

Working Waterfront

The story of Bajupa is the story of lobstering and Matinicus

This story first appeared in Landings,the monthly publication of the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance, and appears here with permission. By Melissa Waterman It’s rare to find a boat that nearly every fisherman would term “pretty,” but in the case of Bajupa, that phrase rings true. Built in 1946 by Robert Rich,… SEE MORE

Beaver Island's community center; the island is in Lake Michigan.

Working Waterfront

Dear islands: Thanks for showing us so much

Jon W. Allan is director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, an organization the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront, has partnered with in recent years. By Jon W. Allan Many people ask why we focus our work on the Great Lakes islands. “There are so few people… SEE MORE