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July 17
Angry words exchanged at ferry board meeting
Service staff verbally abused, managers say
Tempers flared at the July 12 meeting of the Maine State Ferry Advisory Board about, ironically enough, angry ferry passengers. The board serves as a citizen advisory group, representing the interests of islanders before ferry service managers. The service is operated by the state Department of Transportation, and serves Frenchboro, Swan’s Island, Islesboro, North Haven, Vinalhaven, and Matinicus. Recent meetings…
July 11
Frenchboro couple built new lobster boat by kit
Andy Smith finishes Sylvia Mae in time for season
PHOTO: COURTESY KIM SMITH Andy Smith Frenchboro fisherman Andy Smith, his sternman Daniel Saxby, and local contractors were scrambling in late May to finish construction of Smith’s new Mussel Ridge…
July 11
Soft-shell clam population decline calls for cooperation
Multiple approaches seek to determine better numbers, fixes
By Susie Arnold, Jessica Gribbon Joyce and Roger Stephenson Mainers likely have heard about the precipitous decline in soft-shell clam landings over the last five years. While the fishery remains…
July 11
The search for topic leaves trail of island life
‘Homecoming’ is a feeling many islanders understand well
People sometimes ask me how I decide what to write about. Today, on deadline, I’ve got only a vague thought I had last week while picking up groceries after a…
July 4
Planning for my apocalypse pantry
Higher ferry fees have columnist thinking about staying put
It isn’t the zombie apocalypse yet, but it’s a good dry run for one. My car-and-driver ticket on the ferry from Islesboro to Lincolnville went from $13.75 to $30. Fortunately,…
July 4
Trevett store still going strong
Library of Congress photo shows ongoing history
The Trevett store in a 1939 photo from the Library of Congress collection. We received several reader responses to our question about the photo on page 9 in the…
June 28
Vulnerability is both scary and empowering
Stepping out with peers, stepping onto a stage are bold acts
Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront…
June 27
Islands look to neighbors for survival
In Casco Bay and in South Pacific, asking for help is practical step
Island communities survive when they work together. I experienced this alongside leaders on Long Island in Casco Bay and in dialogue with the former president of Kiribati. Spend time on…
June 27
Let’s give our service center towns a hand
There is a 1 percent solution that could make a difference
When I first began working in downtown Belfast in the late 1980s, I noticed an odd trend. On Fridays, it was a lot harder to find a parking space than…
June 26
Andrew Wyeth’s Rockland: Boats, planes and trains
Farnsworth Art Museum features its seasonal resident’s take on locale
When Edward Hopper (1882-1967) visited Rockland in 1926, he referred to it as “a very fine old place with lots of good-looking houses but not much shipping.” His watercolors from that…
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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