Working Waterfront

Making my political values official

By Phil CrossmanIn 1958, my grandfather, Ted Maddox, then our representative to the Maine Legislature, brought Sen. Edmund Muskie to Vinalhaven to attend the Fourth of July celebrations. Grampa escorted the senator up onto the speaker’s platform. I was loitering in the alley across the street because a mischievous uncle… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

It’s pie season in Maine

By Sandy Oliver It’s pie season on the island. The succession of pie-filling ingredients growing in our gardens and ready for gathering in fields, one after another from rhubarb to strawberries, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, and then apples and at last pumpkins, makes a huge plenty for a range… 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

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

Mosquito plague has me thinking about the options

By Barbara Fernald On the first of July, activity on the islands is rolling along at a pace that rivals August. After a rainy, cold May and a rainy, cold June, any day with sun and warmth draws us all outside to catch up with gardening, boating, the beach, or… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island plans community read on difficult issue

By Courtney Naliboff Conversations about end-of-life decisions can be emotional, challenging, and are often avoided until a moment of crisis. But a group of health care providers on North Haven hopes to help families and loved ones begin those conversations earlier through a community read. Nurse practitioner and Southern Harbor… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A new setting gives this parent fresh eyes

By Courtney Naliboff It’s July, and I’m in a hot tub in Sedona, looking at red rocks in the distance, lit by a dry desert sun. My five-year-old daughter is on the steps of the adjacent swimming pool, blue goggles pushed up on her hair, wrapped in a blue foam… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island-bound on a rainy day, not a bad fate

By Larry McIntosh I wonder if the old adage, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, it’ll change,” works the other way too. If you do like the weather, will it also change? Unfortunately, it did. Even though the forecast was for partly to mostly cloudy, and 60… SEE MORE