Working Waterfront

Noblesse oblige, Maine style

About 15 years ago, I had a most pleasant conversation with Linda Bean. I was covering the Maine Fishermen’s Forum for the Bangor Daily News and found myself sitting next to her at a session which had participants gathered in a circle. A fellow journalist had recently told me something… SEE MORE

“Flaking the Purse Seine,” circa 1940, by Emily Muir (1904-2003), watercolor on paper, 16 1/2 x 23 inches. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BARRIDOFF AUCTIONS

Working Waterfront

Emily Muir and the seiners

In addition to being a painter, Muir was a self-taught architect and designer, as well as an author, lecturer, and conservationist. SEE MORE

The Jacob Pike underway. PHOTO: PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

Working Waterfront

The Jacob Pike, a victim of January’s storms

In 2022, The Penobscot Marine Museum acquired a collection of several thousand Jim Moore’s maritime-related negatives SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Readers: Community building, ‘important work,’ and delightful travelogue

Important work To the Editor: I just read Kim Hamilton's “From the Sea Up” column in the April issue of The Working Waterfront, “The storm damage we cannot see.” It was excellent. As a psychiatrist, I’m so glad you’re noting the psychological impact of these terrible coastal storms and encouraging… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The magic of music

I keep misjudging people. Last month an elderly woman, four years my junior, put in an appearance at the Vinalhaven Library to sing songs and tell stories. The event had been scheduled weeks before and announced repeatedly in our island newsletter, so as the day approached and it became increasingly… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Indulging in doughnuts

The March 23 storm caused icing and power outages along the Maine coast and dumped two feet of snow in the western part of the state. In the Cranberry Isles we got about five inches of snow before the rain took it all away again. By Sunday the trees were… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Finding the essence of the Lost Kitchen

French emphasizes that evoking emotions is at the very heart of her cooking. She wants diners to feel welcomed and cared for. SEE MORE

Maine Marine Patrol Officer Alex Michaud, center, receives the 2024 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award during the Fishermen’s Forum. From left are and MLA board president Kristan Porter Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher, from left), Sgt. Matthew Wyman, and Major Rob Beal.

Working Waterfront

Michaud wins ‘officer of the year’

Maine Marine Patrol Officer Alex Michaud received the 2024 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport in early March. The award is presented to a Marine Patrol Officer who has demonstrated outstanding service in support of the lobster industry. Michaud, who joined… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

COA names new president

The College of the Atlantic board of trustees has announced its unanimous selection of Dr. Sylvia Torti as the college's seventh president. Torti, an accomplished writer, ecologist, and innovative academic leader with 15 years of experience in higher education, will succeed president Darron Collins upon his retirement at the end… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The passing of a fisheries icon

Francis J. O’Hara Sr., president of the O’Hara Corporation, passed away on Aug. 3 at his home in Camden at the age of 91. If there is a name that’s synonymous with Maine’s fishing industry, it’s Frank O’Hara. SEE MORE