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April 23
Telling Vinalhaven student stories a worthy exercise
Portland’s The Telling Room brought its program to island
By Nancy Lloyd The joy of teaching lies in seeing the whole class come alive, with everyone on target and enjoying the work. Working with the Telling Room process makes that happen more often than not. The Telling Room is a Portland-based educational nonprofit that works with students from 6-17 to allow them to tell their stories in their own…
April 23
The joys of a ‘staycation’
Taking time for simple pleasures during February break
By Courtney Naliboff Ah, staycation. That portmanteau word might seem like a consolation prize—a vacation born of a lack of funds or time, but it actually speaks to a period…
April 23
Town meeting, painting lines, eating doughnuts, and throwing rocks
As winter winds down, islanders mix prep work and gatherings
By Barbara Fernald Activity on the islands, at the end of February and into March, is like a mirror image of the action at the end of August into September.…
April 21
Earth Day turns 50, and it’s more complicated than ever
Is Maine New England’s energy colony, or is region more like an island?
By Philip Conkling One of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the fates of humans across the globe are inextricably linked. Fifty years ago, the idea our lives…
April 21
Island Institute staff reflect on meaning of Earth Day
Fifty years out, day still holds meaning for young and not-so-young
Some of the staff at the Island Institute agreed to share their thoughts about Earth Day, on this, its 50th anniversary. Robin ChernowCommunity Development Officer, Education My first Earth Day-specific…
April 16
A fully engaging read on half-modeling
The whys, hows, and more on this historic craft
Half-Hull Modeling: Step-by-step companion, from plans to finished model By Greg Rossel/Greg Rossel Boat Carpentry Reviewed by David D. Platt We’ve all admired half-hull models of ships and small boats.…
April 16
Bass Harbor Light will be transferred to National Park Service
Property and buildings will be studied for possible new uses
By Laurie Schreiber Plans are in the works to transfer jurisdiction of the Bass Harbor Light Station from the U.S. Coast Guard to the National Park Service. The plan would…
April 16
Giving voice to emotional response to climate change
Collection gathers personal responses from Maine writers
A Dangerous New World: Maine Voices on the Climate Crisis Meghan Sterling and Kathleen Sullivan, eds. Littoral Books, Portland, Maine, 2019 Review by Dana Wilde “No one wants to see…
April 16
Lost in translation and the international incident
There’s a reason people don’t woo women in German
By Phil Crossman In August of 1964 I was stationed on the carrier USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean. A buddy and I took a few days leave and hitchhiked up…
April 16
Making Washington County bicycle friendly
Fellowship focuses on helping youth find fun in biking
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. By…
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.
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