Working Waterfront

High school seniors undaunted by virus-tinged graduation

By Tom Groening Across the state, high school ended this spring with a whimper. Students graduated at the peak, or perhaps post-peak, of an unprecedented pandemic. And with graduation, they move into an uncertain and unknown future. But for three graduates in coastal communities—Peaks Island, Islesboro, and Eastport—the new normal… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

They name their boats after their daughters

By Tom Valleau No one can doubt that our commercial fishing industry is now suffering from a variety of problems, some long in the making and others quite recent. With each new development, Maine’s fishing prospects have grown smaller, going back to the establishment in 1984 of the Hague Line,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Plague! Plague! Cholera! Go back!’

By Tom Walsh Like moths drawn to flame, artists of all stripes—painters, writers, sculptors—have been swarming coastal Maine for more than 100 years. Among painters, think Winslow Homer at Prout’s Neck, John Marin at Small Point, Andrew Wyeth at Cushing, and son Jamie on Monhegan Island. Among Jamie Wyeth’s fellow… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘An abundance of awesome’ for students in local papers

By Christa Thorpe In the past few months, teachers all over the globe have seen their email inboxes flooded with educational resources for remote instruction. One teacher’s Twitter comment received nearly 2,000 sympathetic reactions: “Anyone else feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the resources shared—it is an abundance of awesome… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Carolyn Chute returns with character-rich new novel

Review by Tina Cohen In the world of contemporary Maine literature, Carolyn Chute is a prolific and highly original author. Best known for her first novel, subsequently made into a movie, The Beans of Egypt, Maine (1985), she has written six more since then. Born in Portland in 1947, she… SEE MORE

This file image shows Bar Harbor's town landing

Working Waterfront

Governor’s order would kill Bar Harbor businesses, say owners

By Jacqueline Weaver Editor's note: Since this story was published in the June edition, Gov. Janet Mills has offered an alternative plan to the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors. Bar Harbor business owners, from restaurants and shops to hotels and vacation rentals, are reeling from an executive order by Gov.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From fishing to farming—scallops (and goats)

For some fishermen, Maine’s aquaculture industry has been a thorny subject that includes concerns like navigational safety and environmental health. But as a third-generation fisherman, Marsden Brewer of Stonington sees the development of a new scallop farming sector as an opportunity for fishermen to diversify their income streams, maintain a… SEE MORE

The hands of Skip Collins at Spartan Marine.

Working Waterfront

Spartan Marine, stuck in the Bronze Age

Skip Collins in the Spartan Marine shop. Story//Photos by Kelli Park In a world churning with change, there is a workshop in a cove in Georgetown where the strength of bronze has withstood the test of time. Spartan Marine makes the case that there are some things better left unchanged.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine must do better at welcoming diversity

By Rob Snyder You’ve heard it said many times: “Maine is a white state,” or maybe even, “Maine is the whitest state.” Actually, Maine is not a white state. Some 74,000 Mainers are people of color. When Mainers assert that our population includes a majority of white people, whether through statistical… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Voter support sought on broadband investment

By Tom Groening Yes, we have internet, but… That’s the response from business owners, healthcare professionals, educators, and more, with the “but” being that speeds fail to keep up with demand. And that gap is why the state should help build a broadband network, say proponents of a July 14… SEE MORE