Working Waterfront

Reflecting on a ‘great business’ and job

I met Bob Woodward in 2012. Colby College gave him the Elijah Parish Lovejoy award for his life’s work in journalism and I was covering it for the Bangor Daily News that weekend. When I think of who inspired my career choice, George Reeve and Bob Woodward come to mind. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A lesson in island living

Everything is harder when you live in a remote, rural town. Especially on an island. Especially in summer. When George Gershwin wrote about the easy livin’ of summertime, he wasn’t on a Maine island. Your houseguest’s forgotten prescription? The missing ingredient in the recipe you are making? (It was on… SEE MORE

Boats gather off Frenchboro to memorialize and remember the late David Lunt. PHOTO: PETER RALSTON

Working Waterfront

An island patriarch is laid to rest

Dean Lunt, David’s youngest son, presided over the solemn event, with spiritual comfort provided by the Maine Seacoast Mission pastor who arrived on the Sunbeam. Following the committal in the small cemetery that the Lunt family had donated to the town, guests boarded a solemn procession of lobster boats... SEE MORE

Colby Adolphsen with “Harbor Town” PHOTO: COURTESY COLBY ADOLPHSEN

Working Waterfront

Colby Adolphsen’s LEGO harbor town

The detail is astounding, from a wall of hardware store tools and a diner grill to a lobster boat in drydock. Fishermen work on the wharf, a girl walks a dog, a boy fishes off the bridge. Vintage dollhouse stickers provided the aesthetic Adolphsen wanted for the signage: “Town Talk Bread,” “Burdan’s Ice Cream,” “Princes Lobster,” etc. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Talking scallops with Sam Belknap

NAME: Sam Belknap TITLE: Director of Island Institute’s Center for Marine Economy FOCUS I direct work aimed at protecting and sustaining Maine’s working waterfronts, as well as advancing the use of electric outboards for our commercial fleet, and expanding aquaculture businesses. IN THIS PHOTO: Seen at far right, I’m moderating a… SEE MORE

The September 1901 launch of the USS Cleveland at Bath Iron Works.

Working Waterfront

Sliding into history: The tradition of the launch

The accompanying images show the September 1901 launch of the USS Cleveland at Bath Iron Works. Spectators packed the yard, standing shoulder to shoulder among scaffolding and shipyard debris to witness the Navy cruiser’s christening and launch. SEE MORE

A view of the harbor, framed by trees. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

When life gives you a library

Now the library is poised for a new chapter. It holds over 15,000 volumes and finds its home in a spacious and modern facility that would never have come to be without the 2008 tragedy. After many successful years as “just a library,” we feel like we can dream bigger. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Overheard at the bird feeder

Two goldfinches—a couple, clearly—were enjoying a dinner engagement at my feeder, as they often did this time of day. Clearly absorbed in a blossoming romance, etiquette and civilized consumption—one seed at a time—were paramount. It was a delightful thing to observe, adorable and very peaceful. This duo had been together… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Thanks for the gift of island life

My cousin Gail, the eldest of five of us, spoke at my grandmother’s funeral in 1992. What I recall most vividly is her saying, “Without Nanny, we wouldn’t have Islesford.” I’ve had the privilege of spending summers on little Cranberry Island, also known as Islesford, my whole life, as did… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Coastal aquifers face new challenges

Salty wells are not new to the Maine coast, but the problem is getting more attention in recent years. All aquifers are impacted by fluctuations in precipitation, particularly the big annual swings we've had recently in Maine with the entire state experiencing drought conditions in the summer/fall of 2024, following… SEE MORE