Working Waterfront

Our View: Maine’s marine future must include aquaculture

You have recently read several articles and op-eds in The Working Waterfront debating the role of aquaculture in Maine. As the publisher of this newspaper, Island Institute takes pride in providing a virtual, open “town square” where people can come together for hard conversations on controversial topics. As a trusted voice on the issues that affect Maine’s coast, we are also keenly aware of our responsibility to share accurate and timely information based on our own programmatic experience and expertise. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

LD 1 would help coastal towns prepare

To support this effort and align it with the state’s climate initiatives, Island Institute leveraged the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation, and the Future’s Community Resilience Partnership (CRP) opportunity, which provides individualized vulnerability assessments for community projects. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A call to a new generation of coastal champions

As we plan for a new year at Island Institute, I am reminded of the important role that this newspaper plays in our mission. Through our columnists, contributors, and expert staff, we provide accurate and inspiring information about the issues you care about, connecting readers from all over the globe… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Lawyer’s lunch,’ history reminders

‘Lawyer’s lunch’ To the editor Your article on innovation (November issue, Rock Bound, “Will innovation save lobstering?”) brings to mind one I read recently in The Spectator, wherein the history of the barcode was discussed. It required investment and understanding. The lobster industry as a whole, not just in Maine,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Letters to the editor: Arts, memory, and enthusiasm

Arts Downeast To the editor: Thank you for the Field Notes column by Lisa Mossel on Passamaquoddy Bay communities (“Eastport, Lubec banking on the arts,” The Working Waterfront’s September issue). Your column is a touchpoint of the necessity of the arts in our lives: encouraging creativity, stimulating, and a meeting… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Don’t overlook the hidden marine economy

Much of the joy that comes in working this newspaper’s “beat” is tied to the rich breadth of the stories we consider. We print and circulate 50,000 copies of each issue (we publish ten times a year), and those copies are found from Portland to Eastport. That geographic range is… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Good job news, not-so-good work force news

The Great Recession still casts a shadow over us, perhaps tamping down confidence in the economy in some quarters. But the truth about Maine’s employment situation is quite bright. The state’s unemployment rate as of May, the last month for which numbers were available, is about 3.2 percent. It’s even… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Transportation decisions must consider community identity

Here’s a question to ponder, maybe while you’re stuck in traffic this summer: What would Maine be like if the interstate highway system ended in Portsmouth, N.H.? Transportation infrastructure impacts the way our communities grow, the way they function, and even what sort of relative prosperity they enjoy. A decision… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Nothing simple about four walls and a roof

The 35-year-old recovering alcoholic living in his car as he gets his life back together and the $4 million, seasonally occupied house blocking views of the water illustrate just part of the range of Maine’s housing issues. But however broad and complex, we would do well to understand these matters,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘The real thing’ sets coastal, island agenda

American life faced a confluence of turbulent forces in 1971. The war in Vietnam was raging, with strong opposition that sometimes resorted to domestic terrorism. The women’s rights movement was emerging, while the push for equity for African-Americans was becoming militant. And a deep worry about the state of the… SEE MORE