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.
Please join us to support this important nonprofit journalism.
- Community
- People
- Opinion
- Environment
- Marine
- Inter-island News
- Business
- Columns
- Arts
- Education
- Book Review
- Climate Change
- Cranberry Report
- Journal of an Island Kitchen
- Salt Water Cure
- Op Ed
- Reflections
- Observer
- Fathoming
- Field Notes
- Rockbound
- Essay
- Energy
- Editorial
- Letters to the Editor
- In Plain Sight
- Wrack Line
- From The Sea Up
- Dispatches from World Ocean Observatory
May 21
Swan’s Island motel has new owners
Jennifer Helman, Dale Joyce purchase Harbor Watch Inn
If you visit Swan’s Island for a weekend getaway, don’t expect much nightlife. Unless, that is, your idea of night life is a peaceful early evening stroll down a quiet road to the shore, or a short drive to the lighthouse to watch the sunset. For one thing, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited by local ordinance, and for…
May 21
The history of Maine’s income tax, and why it matters
Current climate couldn’t bring bold policy changes wrought in 1960s
Maine’s current governor spent his second term trying to repeal the income tax, and while he didn’t succeed, the top rate was reduced from 8.5 percent to 7.1 percent during…
May 21
Two views of what Europeans did to Native New England
Barkskins and Our Beloved Kin examine colonial exploitation and dominance of our region
Reviewed By Tom Walsh Engraved in granite near the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to The National Archives in Washington D.C. is this enduring insight: What is Past is Prologue. It’s a…
May 17
Environment-friendly electric bike finds niche in Bar Harbor
Pedego, a national brand, now can be rented on MDI
Anne Watson tried out a Pedego electric bicycle one summer and loved it. Watson, a former school superintendent in Connecticut, has visited Great Cranberry Island every summer since she was…
May 17
Fournier family continues tug tradition in Belfast
Second generation operating boats in upper Penobscot Bay
If Belfast has an icon representing it to the wider world, it’s probably the three red tugboats docked at the foot of Main Street. As pretty as those boats are,…
May 17
Legendary sea explorer Earle calls for respect for underwater life
Speaking at UMaine, she urges students to see ocean as new frontier
Marine botanist Sylvia Earle opened her April 30 lecture at the University of Maine with a simple, but stunning fact—the surface of Mars, she said, is better mapped than the…
May 16
Ferry service chooses rate increase plan, Islesboro hit hardest
Other islands see reduced rates from mainland prices
A new Maine State Ferry Service rate plan will be implemented beginning May 21. The new fare structure eliminates the on-island discount in favor of a price consistent at both…
May 16
Ferry service is part of our civic infrastructure
Can the ferry service be a long-term partner with island communities?
Sometimes it’s important to begin by stating the obvious. Ferry service is not optional for island communities—they live or die by it. The allocation of resources across the islands served…
May 7
An unexpected loss reminds us how we should live
Sudden death of Hugh Smallwood brings cloud of sadness over island
In May I usually write about how crazy busy it is, and how fast the month goes, and what a relief it is to finally see signs of spring, like…
May 7
Anthology asks: Who are we, and where are we?
Nation in an identity crisis reflected in writing from our region
3 Nations 3 Nations Anthology: Native, Canadian & New England Writers Valerie Lawson, ed. Resolute Bear Press, Robbinston, Maine, 2017; 176 pages, paperback, $19.95. One phrase to describe what underlies…
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.
SIGN UP FOR OUR
E-WEEKLY
Get the latest articles from the Working Waterfront delivered to your inbox every week.
SIGN UP NOWTHE WORKING WATERFRONT
LATEST ISSUE
A nonprofit publication of the Island Institute which has been published for over 20 years.
LEARN MORE