Working Waterfront

New collection splits open from-away, native identities

North by Northeast: New Short Fiction by Writers from Maine and New England Agnes Bushell, editor/Littoral Books, Portland, 2019 Review by Dana Wilde In the 1980s, a minor civil war was waged in Maine’s literary subculture over who, exactly, was eligible for the label “Maine writer.” As I recall there… SEE MORE

Ryan Murphy hands out cards explaining how to turn on the Libby Island fog horn.

Working Waterfront

Libby Island a little too quiet for comfort

By Tom Groening Even with the ubiquity of radar and GPS, navigating the waters off the Washington County coast can be treacherous. The bays and estuaries are often foggy, and the region sees the most dramatic tidal range on the Maine coast. So when the fog horn on Libby Island… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The latent image of Millinocket

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. Column and photos by Diana Furukawa A year ago, I took an afternoon walk down my street, following it across Millinocket… SEE MORE

Mount Desert Island High School's Eco Team includes: Winslow Jeffery

Working Waterfront

On the record with… MDI High School’s Korstanje and Dowling

By Laurie Schreiber A group of Mount Desert Island High School students, with faculty advisor Ruth Poland, are tackling climate change and sustainability issues as the school’s Eco Team. Among many projects, the group helped organize and participated in climate strikes and assisted plans for the school’s solarization. Ongoing initiatives… SEE MORE

Sean Todd of Allied Whale and College of the Atlantic.

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Sean Todd of Allied Whale

By Laurie Schreiber The plight of the North Atlantic right whale has steadily made its way into Maine news. One of the world’s most endangered large whale species, the population of about 400 is shrinking due to increasing mortality and lower birth rates. Stakeholders, including Maine’s lobster industry, have implemented… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Senior sing-along meets important community needs

Members of the chorus are given their lyric sheets. MICHELE STAPLETON Sue Spalding, a retired music educator, directs Ten people file into the nave of Brunswick United Methodist Church on a Tuesday afternoon in early September and take their seats in rows facing the altar. Everyone is over the… SEE MORE

Amy and Andy Barstow on the dock of Monhegan Boat Lines.

Working Waterfront

Monhegan Boat Lines rebuilding on waterfront

By Tom Groening In theory, the home base of Monhegan Boat Lines in Port Clyde is much like a bus station. There’s an office to sell tickets, a passenger waiting room, parking, and a designated site to board. But that’s where the similarities end. Amy and Andy Barstow, who have… SEE MORE

Cliff Island residents gathered to celebrate establishing broadband service on the island

Working Waterfront

Cliff Island celebrates securing broadband

By Jack Sullivan More than two years ago, three Casco Bay islands began in earnest their pursuit of high-speed, reliable internet, otherwise known as broadband. One of the three, Cliff Island, just crossed the finish line, and the excitement for that achievement was evident at a community meeting on Aug.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Free end-of-summer food no simple transaction

By Barbara Fernald“Do you have any interest in this food from my refrigerator?” It’s a common question for those of us who live here, or haven’t left for the season yet. The answer to that depends. Most late season offerings are very usable and sometimes a real treat. There is always… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Native history of North Haven an eye-opener

By Courtney Naliboff This fall marks the first time Maine’s October three-day-weekend will be held in honor of indigenous people in the state, rather than that guy who accidentally landed in the Caribbean and instigated the first of many Western hemisphere genocides. The change on the calendar is part of… SEE MORE