Not only did Bucksport lose the paper mill business and jobs that sustained its economy and tax base when Verso closed its operation there, but the mill itself—or at least most of the metal in the structures—will be scrapped and hauled away. Some might see that fate as cruel, adding insult to injury. But in that fate lies opportunity, tied…

A few years ago I went to Florida on vacation. I’d never seen a woman in a thong before. Of course I’d seen pictures of them, but seeing them actually…

  Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute,…

Where’s the cliff? That was the question tourism officials raised at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held March 21-22 at the Sunday River Resort. The question had nothing to…

The view north on U.S. Route 1 in Wiscasset as interpreted with one of the options for improving traffic flow.   Proposals to deal with the perennial summer traffic delays…

You don’t have to be an economist to understand a simple way to make Maine more prosperous: work to have more dollars coming into the state than leaving. But unfortunately,…

Thriving public spaces contribute to the economic vitality of a community. Early New England communities often were built around a public common or public green. Initially, they might have served…

A local newspaper of the day told the tale: March 19, 1945, Pacific Ocean—Donald C. McLaughlin, Jr. of Vinalhaven is a seaman first class aboard the USS Franklin, also known…

Maine business and government officials are expecting The Cat—the new high-speed catamaran ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia—will deliver an economic boost when it begins service on June…

The Harbor Watch Inn on Swan’s Island has partnered with Tesla Motors and installed a charging station for electric cars. Tesla offers such hardware to encourage those in the hospitality industry…