A photovoltaic panel in a yard on Islesboro.

Working Waterfront

Veto puts solar energy growth in jeopardy, say proponents

By Jacqueline Weaver A bill in the Maine Legislature that would have ensured benefits for solar panel owners was killed on Aug. 2. The bill passed with strong majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, but then was vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage. In the initial vote, legislators… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine coastal towns expecting, preparing for rising seas

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. Sea level along the Maine coast has been rising at a fairly regular rate for the last 5,000 years or so. In the 20th century, sea level rose at about 1 inch per decade. Looking forward, we are expecting much… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Connecting our communities more critical than ever

This column first appeared in the 2017 Island Journal, which is now available for purchase at TheArchipelago.net. Maine touts its allure for visitors and prospective transplants by asserting that we provide qualities summed up as “the way life should be.” The phrase suggests purity, simplicity, a pace more in tune… SEE MORE

Galen Koch at work on the Airstream trailer that will serve as her mobile recording studio.

Working Waterfront

‘First Coast’ project aims to tell our stories

Bureaucrats, academics, and advocates develop talking points, position papers, and policies to address the problems of our coast. Galen Koch has chosen a different approach. The 28-year-old Stonington native and Skidmore College grad has dedicated her professional life to storytelling. Or, more accurately, letting others tell their stories. Her newest… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Good job news, not-so-good work force news

The Great Recession still casts a shadow over us, perhaps tamping down confidence in the economy in some quarters. But the truth about Maine’s employment situation is quite bright. The state’s unemployment rate as of May, the last month for which numbers were available, is about 3.2 percent. It’s even… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Could green crabs become a Maine delicacy?

Invasive green crabs responsible for decimating Maine's soft-shell clam industry are being investigated for possible culinary purposes. Art conservator Jonathan Taggart, marine biologist Marissa McMahan, and Georgetown lobsterman Chris Jamison traveled to Venice last year to learn the secrets of harvesting green crabs for gourmet dishes. Young, soft-shelled green crabs are harvested… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Trump EPA cuts would have Maine fisheries navigating ‘blind’

Science and research are being targeted for deep cuts in the Trump administration’s proposed budget, and if those cuts are made, Maine’s fisheries will be navigating blind into an uncertain future. That was the message from a panel that gathered on Thursday, June 29 at the University of Southern Maine… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Magazine celebrates the best of coastal Maine

The elements that would fill the magazine he has published for 30 years were all at hand. John Hanson remembers that day in the late 1980s clearly, sailing with artist friends through the Fox Islands Thoroughfare, eating a gourmet lunch, watching dinghy races. “This is what I want to write… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Are the mussels really gone? Depends on where you look

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. There has been a lot of curiosity about the reported decline of blue mussels along Maine’s coast. Over the last year, we have visited 32 coastal towns and islands, from Portsmouth to Eastport, sharing our Climate of Change documentary film… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Private air-traffic control could impact Penobscot Bay

By Kevin Waters In 1998, an ice storm swept through Maine, leaving some communities completely inaccessible. Without general aviation, many towns and island communities would have been cut off from resources for an unknown period. It was general aviation pilots who stepped up to the plate, providing a vital link to ensure… SEE MORE