Working Waterfront

Understanding seasons with island perspective

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. In the dead of winter, Chebeague Island becomes very quiet. Restaurants and organizations reduce their hours or close entirely, and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An island field of dreams

This summer, my ten-year-old grandson and ten other kids about his own age, encouraged by a large group of conspiratorial island adults, poured a pitcher of ice water over the head of an older island man who certainly had it coming. In 1998, after too many years during which Vinalhaven… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islands celebrate the Fourth with picnics

Both Little and Great Cranberry Islands will be celebrating the 4th of July this year with community picnics. On the big island the picnic starts at high noon. Everyone is invited to bring their own lunch and utensils to the ball field. The Ladies Aid will provide lemonade, iced tea,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The tenuousness of wild places

I'm writing this month's column poolside, a very unusual place for me to be. After not leaving the state for 18 months, Bill, Penrose, and I masked up, braved a transcontinental plane ride, and landed in San Diego in late June. After a few days of Mexican food, record shopping,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islesboro grad immersed in Polynesian culture

In September 2020, I left Islesboro for a gap year on the island where I grew up, Oʻahu, in Hawaii. Having a whole year to be back home was incredible, and most wonderful of all our adventures was my time volunteering with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, or PVS. PVS was… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State budget funds working waterfront protection

The state budget adopted in early summer dedicates $40 million to the Land for Maine’s Future program and at least ten percent of that money will be used to preserve working waterfront access for commercial fishing. Historically, the land access preservation program is funded through voter-approved bond referenda, but the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Treatment plan: Tour the U.S. on a Harley

I can’t help but imagine how the discussion about Donna Wiegle’s book might have gone at a big-time publishing house. “The writer has stage IV ovarian cancer, and she writes about her courage in facing this diagnosis? And there’s a motorcycle involved? How are we supposed to sell this?! Who… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

It took a village to run the motel

My mother was possessed of a resolute conviction that people were good. Certainly, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, she felt my three younger brothers and I were clear examples—kind, compliant youngsters who behaved themselves and did for others at every opportunity. In spite of our best efforts,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The sounds of love are in the air

Once in a while my column ideas just don’t pan out. This is one of those months. I thought I would revisit the golf cart situation on Islesford. I started counting carts on a quick trip to the town dock. There were ten golf carts parked among the trucks and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Local we know, sustainable we hope

Sunday afternoons, starting the last Sunday in May, a small farmer’s market sets up next to the Up-Island Church (formerly the Free Will Baptist Church, now a preservation society) while cars line Church Turn containing customers ready to pounce on seedlings, vegetables, eggs, honey, all kinds of island-grown fresh stuff.… SEE MORE