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June 7
Stephen and David Etnier: A legacy of place
Father and son dedicated to the working waterfront
In his autobiography Overworked Guardian Angel, published posthumously in 2009, the painter Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) paid homage to the stretch of the Maine coast around South Harpswell where he lived and which he haunted for a good part of his life. This “series of coves and inlets with fingers of land jutting into the sea,” he wrote, create “the loveliest…
June 7
Letters: 'Cogent,' public spaces, and fog
Cogent newspaper To the editor: I read virtually every word of the April issue of The Working Waterfront and am so impressed with the quality and pith of the contents.…
June 7
‘Here we go!’ time
Was the poet right about April?
In mid-March, the early afternoon sun was streaming through my kitchen window as I caught up with my friend Mary over a cup of tea. The warmth was appreciated but…
June 7
The community born of kitchens
Gathering with food across island’s public spaces
Kitchens make a house a home. Kitchens create community. Our island has at least ten non-domestic kitchens in public gathering places. Stoves, sinks, fridges, counters, pots and pans, coffee makers,…
June 7
The care that backs up caretaking
Illness shines a light on island support
My husband Bill went off-island to visit family during Vinalhaven’s two-week March break, so naturally Penrose and I both got sick. Pen came down with it first, an upper-respiratory crud…
June 7
The not-so-small problem of shrink wrap
About 1.5 million pounds used annually in Maine
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the shrink wrap is coming off. The boat shrink wrap, that is—low-density polyethylene plastic prized for its flexibility and ability to…
June 7
Vinalhaven’s volunteer of the year
[caption id="attachment_36116" align="alignnone" width="500"] Peter Richards, center, works with (from left) students Bryson Lane, Maevis Bryant, Faith McCarthy, and Noah Hufsey.[/caption] PHOTOS BY SHERI ROMER Peter Richards, a retired teacher…
June 6
The island grocery’s essential role
New owners on North Haven to feature local fare
Buying groceries is always on the minds of islanders. Mainland trips often end with a carload of fresh fruits and vegetables and specialty items. Planning meals ahead becomes paramount. And…
June 6
When the helper gets in trouble
National Fisherman and ‘Working the Sea’
There is no shortage of drama in the National Fisherman photograph shown here, taken in December 1973. The dark figure of a man looms in the foreground surveying a scene…
May 31
Class clashes and conspiracy logic
Novel set in Maine airs dirty laundry
Land of Cockaigne By Jeffrey Lewis, Haus Publishing Ltd. (2022) The central thing you need to know about the protagonist family in Jeffrey Lewis’s novel Land of Cockaigne is 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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