Stephen Etnier’s “Inside Haskell’s” (1969), oil on canvas.

Working Waterfront

Stephen and David Etnier: A legacy of place

In his autobiography Overworked Guardian Angel, published posthumously in 2009, the painter Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) paid homage to the stretch of the Maine coast around South Harpswell where he lived and which he haunted for a good part of his life. This “series of coves and inlets with fingers of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Here we go!’ time

In mid-March, the early afternoon sun was streaming through my kitchen window as I caught up with my friend Mary over a cup of tea. The warmth was appreciated but the angle of the sun meant “cozy time” would soon come to an end. “I’m not ready for winter to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The care that backs up caretaking

My husband Bill went off-island to visit family during Vinalhaven’s two-week March break, so naturally Penrose and I both got sick. Pen came down with it first, an upper-respiratory crud that had made the rounds through the high school before filtering down to the younger kids. She spent a delightful… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Vinalhaven’s volunteer of the year

[caption id="attachment_36116" align="alignnone" width="500"] Peter Richards, center, works with (from left) students Bryson Lane, Maevis Bryant, Faith McCarthy, and Noah Hufsey.[/caption] PHOTOS BY SHERI ROMER Peter Richards, a retired teacher from Georgia who has been living on Vinalhaven the last several years, was named by the Maine Principals Association as… SEE MORE

Laura Doran and David McDougal, seen here with daughter Marigold, are the new owners of North Haven Grocery and Inn. PHOTO: WILLIAM TREVASKIS

Working Waterfront

The island grocery’s essential role

Buying groceries is always on the minds of islanders. Mainland trips often end with a carload of fresh fruits and vegetables and specialty items. Planning meals ahead becomes paramount. And the island store can be both a lifeline and source of anxiety. The “For Sale” sign at North Haven Grocery… SEE MORE

Eleven-year-old Jack Moore flies with the late Kevin Waters of Penobscot Island Air. PHOTO: COURTESY AVERY LARNED

Working Waterfront

Islesboro student flying solo at 16

[caption id="attachment_36036" align="alignleft" width="500"] Moore flies with an instructor. PHOTO: COURTESY AVERY LARNED[/caption] Living on an island and relying on a ferry to get to the mainland and the wider world might inspire a young person to seek other modes of transportation. But for Jack Moore, 16, pursuing an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An insider’s artist view of Casco Bay

Hundreds of Roberta Ricker’s colorful paintings depicting coastal and island life hang in homes in Maine and beyond. The paintings are a kind of artistic documentary of... SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fictional drama added to shameful reality

This Other Eden By Paul Harding W.W. Norton & Co., 2023 Kate McBrien needs not even ten words to describe her reaction to This Other Eden. One will do: “Offensive.” Maine’s state archivist has found getting through Paul Harding’s newest coastal novel something of a challenge. “It perpetuates all the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A marriage story, viewed from one side

A delightful compatibility has marked our marriage from day one. Not simply because she routinely anticipates my every need, including the many I did not and do not anticipate or the many others I wasn’t even cognizant of—until I become repeatedly and dimly aware that something has become easier or… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Immigration lawyer offers Maine perspective

Immigration law is surrounded by politics, controversy, and debate and is constantly in flux, Jennifer Atkinson told a small audience at Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta in March. “It’s very political,” she said. “Depending on the administration, you can see huge changes in what you’re doing and what you have… SEE MORE