Working Waterfront

Turning the island fundraiser upside down

By Phil Crossman Lest any feel we on these islands, largely isolated during our long Maine winters, might endure a less than inspiring existence, consider a recent proposal for the winter of 2020. Like any small town, we on Vinalhaven all share in the successes and misfortunes of our fellow… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The census is coming… and why you should be counted

By Meghan Grabill It’s that time again. Ten years in the making. Data nerds, college students, genealogists, and trivia buffs everywhere are starting the countdown. The countdown to what? To the 2020 Decennial Census! For people who do not work with social and economic data, the census may seem dull. … SEE MORE

One fishermen uses a skiff to tow a skiff with another fisherman in the Fox Islands Thorofare.

Working Waterfront

Our readers write about…

Editor’s note: The guest column published in the December/January issue—“Media is responsible for ‘eco anxiety,’” by Mark Preston—generated reader reaction ranging from outrage to support. For the record, the newspaper and its publisher, the Island Institute, believe climate change is human-induced, but we were willing to print an argument contrary… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Power outage pizza party

By Courtney Naliboff It was a dark and stormy night. A blizzard was dumping several feet of sticky snow on North Haven, sometime in late 2008 or early 2009. I had gathered several friends at my house for dinner, including our new Island Institute fellow, and my plan was to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Winners rise to top in decade of recipes

By Sandy Oliver Apparently, the average American household cooking repertoire contains something like 20 dishes which are the backbone of family meals, frequently repeated. I don’t know if that includes take-out fare or pizza, which are usually less common on Maine islands. Around here, the garden drives seasonal variations so… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Reaching out to a neighbor on climate change

By Eric Lister After initially dismissing Mark Preston’s perspective (The Working Waterfront, December/January issue, “Media is responsible for ‘eco-anxiety’”) I decided to pay him the courtesy of a thoughtful reply, in the hope that those who share his perspective might provide me with the same respect. So, as a physician… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island life teaches me the ‘focal’ way of understanding

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 Caroline Carrigan Swan’s Island is a place of true simplicity. There are just three to five main roads, depending on… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The joys of a quiet January

By Barbara Fernald Ahhhh! The month of January on Islesford is one of my favorites. It’s not because the island has so much to offer at this time of year, but because it gives me two things I’ve been yearning for since last spring: time and quiet. Ever since our… SEE MORE

Jon Cheston and Nancy Hauswald aboard their boat

Working Waterfront

To pee (or not to pee) at sea

By Nancy Hauswald Thursday, June 4, 1987 Approx. 75 miles off the coast of the Carolinas The storm drags on, unrelenting in its pummeling of Merry Yarn and us. Jon is down below, glued to the nav station, poring over the chart, plotting our location, getting constant fixes, and keeping… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Generational fault lines, not earthquakes

By Tom Groening All generalizations are false, right? Well, yes. Including that one. But I’ll admit that assigning distinctive qualities to groups of people is to step on a slippery slope. Careers have ended when high-profile people have done so, and those falls from grace are usually deserved. Yet it… SEE MORE