The Working Waterfront newspaper reports on the people and forces that shape Maine’s coastal and island communities. As publisher, Island Institute’s premise is that the cultural, environmental, and community assets here are rare and valuable, and are worth fighting for.
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September 2

Remembering the lessons of the slave ship Amistad

SHIP IS A SYMBOL OF WHAT WAS, AND WHAT MIGHT BE
L’Amistad, ironically Spanish for “friendship,” was a 19th century schooner engaged in the slave trade, transporting human cargo, Mende people, from Sierra Leone to Cuba for work on the Spanish-owned sugar plantations. In 1839, with 53 slaves aboard, those imprisoned passengers revolted, under the leadership of Singbe Pieh, also known as Joseph Cinque, taking command of the ship, killing the captain,…
Peter Neill
August 27

Group works to recycle 'ghost' lobster traps

TRAPS 2 TREASURE PROJECT UNDERWAY DOWNEAST
Lobstermen call it “ghost gear”—the remnants of lost, costly lobster traps to snags, storms, trap wars, and damage by both sailboats and power boats, all hazards inherent in fishing the…
Tom Walsh
August 25

A summer of uncertainty for the lobster industry

PANDEMIC, TARIFFS TELL COMPLICATED STORY FOR MAINE’S ICONIC SEAFOOD
Lobstering is a dangerous, difficult business, and not just for the harvesters who risk their lives to bring their catch to shore. Many factors influence how lucrative the lobster industry…
Meghan Grabill
August 25

Peaks Island house a winner for its occupants

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION EARN HONORS IN FINE HOMEBUILDING MAGAZINE
As far as Judy Walsh is concerned, the house she and her husband Paul Stenzel share on Peaks Island was a winner the day they moved in. But there was…
Tom Groening
August 19

Bringing it all back home

VIRUS SPURS THOUGHTS OF RETIREMENT, HOME-BASED BUSINESS
It sure is a different summer in the Cranberry Isles. Some people have chosen not to come to the islands this summer, considering the risk factors of traveling long distances…
Barbara Fernald
August 19

Six young environmental change-makers honored

NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE RECOGNIZES PERSISTENCE, IMPACT
Six young Maine change-makers have been honored as the inaugural group of Brookie Award winners for their leadership and effectiveness working on environmental issues. The Brookie Awards is a new statewide recognition…
August 19

Cruise ship departs Eastport

ORT AUTHORITY MAY OFFER SAFE BERTH IN FUTURE
Hoping to avoid the June 1 arrival of hurricane season in southern Florida, the Oceania Riviera, a 785-foot, 15-deck Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel with no passengers, only crew onboard, sailed nearly 2,000…
Tom Walsh
August 19

​Portland Fish Exchange manager reflects on strategies, struggles

BERT JONGERDEN RETIRING AFTER SEEING EXCHANGE EVOLVE AND MODERNIZE
When Bert Jongerden took a job as operations manager at the Portland Fish Exchange in 1991, the quasi-municipal nonprofit auction house handled 30 million pounds of fish that year. Jongerden…
Laurie Schreiber
August 12

Not the same, but also good

VIRUS CHANGES NATURE OF SUMMER, BUT THERE IS PLENTY TO BE SAVORED
When it became clear this spring that we weren’t going to kick this pandemic with two weeks of shutdown, the big question for many on (and off) North Haven became…
Courtney Naliboff
August 12

It’s a wet and wild world for this old man

YOUNG ‘DELINQUENTS’ TAKE AIM ON GRAY-HAIRED ISLANDER
I’m having a little trouble with the younger crowd here on the island, particularly boys but some girls too. Some guys my age might be upset by such delinquent behavior,…
Phil Crossman

Island Postcards

EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining

Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.

WATCH ALL ISLAND POSTCARDS

 

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