Working Waterfront

The case for ranked choice voting in choosing our governor

By Phil Crossman Ranked choice voting is not a sinister effort to undermine our constitution and electoral process. It is, instead, a refinement that the authors of the U.S. Constitution would have thought of themselves had they had occasion to consider contested elections on a broader scale than simply Washington… 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

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island looks to diversified ocean economy

DALE JOYCE/HARBORVIEW STUDIO Jason and Jamie Matthews. By Jennifer Helman Ask a financial expert for the key to a successful portfolio and the response will be “diversification.” Having a wide range of products in your portfolio helps hedge against downturns in specific markets. The same is true for the… SEE MORE

The late afternoon sun strikes a brick building in Eastport.

Working Waterfront

Let’s understand our rural communities as islands

I believe the number of islands in the U.S. is growing, and here’s why. Across rural America people are feeling isolated—remote, beyond the care and concern of others, cut off from the rest of society. People living in rural communities feel like their futures are subject to forces beyond their… SEE MORE

Photovoltaic panels in a yard on Islesboro.

Working Waterfront

Islesboro recharges for energy independence

Technological innovations like electric cars, photovoltaic panels, air-source heat pumps, and micro-grids can stir up a lively discussion at a gathering like the fourth annual Islesboro Energy Conference, hosted on the island on Sept. 8 by the community’s energy team. But organizer Toby Martin was more interested in the practical.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A two-wheeled adventure along the Gaspé Peninsula

DONNA WIEGLE Steep cliffs dominate the scenery. There’s a saying that goes, “Life is short; take the trip, buy the shoes, eat the cake.” In my case, life is short, so I decided to take the trip. I’ve been living with advanced stage ovarian cancer since April 2016.… SEE MORE

Sisters Betsy and Jill Philbrook fish from their boat off Swan's Island. Betsy first fished with her grandmother

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island honors women who fished

PHOTO COURTESY SWAN'S ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Betsy Philbrook, in 1988, rigs her first trap. Betsy Philbrook’s grandmother, Melita Staples, was up for anything except cooking and housecleaning. “She used to bait tubs when she was younger,” said Philbrook. “She was much happier driving a dumptruck or working on a dock than staying… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Summer friends change island’s rhythm

The swift, ephemeral nature of summer on an island is felt in many ways. The sudden frenzy of activity as caretakers open houses and mow fields, lobster boats leaving their moorings for 12 hours a day, six days a week, and lines forming outside Calderwood Hall just before they open… SEE MORE