Working Waterfront

Machias farm is betting on hemp

Ben Edwards planned to begin harvesting in mid-September, but a new variety of hemp matured almost overnight, possibly in response to heavy rains. “For whatever reason, this strain is maturing really quickly,” said Edwards, pointing to plants with yellowing leaves. “Ideally, some of these would have stayed out here for… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A powerful voice from a life that matters

I was asked in the late spring if I would be willing to participate in a webinar with The Working Waterfront’s three other island columnists to answer questions about island living. Our editor, Tom, was to be the moderator of a panel discussion via Zoom. He sent us his questions ahead of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Little island leaps lead to bigger steps

From wharf to boat, boat to wharf, rinse, recycle, and repeat. Each island trip requires this momentary leap of faith. Trusting in that short span of wood, metal, or (occasionally) air serving as conduit between wharf and boat, trusting in the boat captain to get you where you’re going safely,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An affectionate history of Maine

However dimmed, deferred, or deleted by the coronavirus, Maine’s bicentennial marches on. The milestone is providing an opportunity to claim pride and/or acknowledge failings in our history, to draw lessons from our past, to highlight the ups and downs and in-betweens. For journalist-historian Earl Brechlin, the 200th birthday is also… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Pontificating on the wonders of punctuation

One criterion, revealed to me during an adult writing class, that must be present to justify the use of the semicolon is the need for a complete thought on either side of the punctuation. Webster’s dictionary defines the semicolon as “a punctuation; used chiefly in a coordinating function between sentence elements.”… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Unearthing New England’s role in the slave trade

The happenstance discovery of a gravestone in her hometown of Brewster, Mass., led Dr. Meadow Dibble to launch a public history initiative devoted to researching and reckoning with New England’s role in the slave trade. In a recent Maine Conservation Voters “lunch and learn” series online, Dibble recounted growing up… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Marital tension, island-style

Kate Hotchkiss of North Haven has a novel just out, coming at an opportune time when coronavirus has complicated travel and minimized social activities. Reading On Harbor’s Edge: Book One, 1912-1913 could be a relaxing, self-isolated way to enjoy the Maine coast, whether in person or vicariously. Set on islands with fictional… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A new soundtrack for our working waterfronts

It wasn’t just the sound of seagulls and waves lapping against the shore those four years I spent running my family’s Midcoast lobster wharf. There was the whir of impeller blades pumping seawater into the lobster tanks. The roar of the propane blast heater, struggling to heat 200 gallons of water… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A love scene that inspired poetry

I was reminded of this encounter the other night when, at dinner with the object of my own affection, I was enjoying a profoundly delicious shrimp scampi. This memory is never far away and when I’m enjoying scampi it’s as fresh and delicious as dinner. Returning from a solo “down… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

North Haven’s Dave Macy an unlikely spiritual anchor

Shakespeare must have been thinking about small-town life when he observed, “All the world’s a stage.” Though the Bard didn’t say so, it does seem some people are better suited to their roles than others. Dave Macy, 67, has been trodding the boards as pastor of North Haven Baptist Church… SEE MORE