Working Waterfront

Food is an anchor of normalcy

It’s very close to the one-year anniversary of “quarantimes” as I write this column. On March 13, 2020, our students had their last day of in-person school for the year, although we didn’t know it at the time. We shut everything down—for two weeks, then for a month, then for… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Why paper was king, and why it was deposed

Shredding Paper: The Rise and Fall of Maine’s Mighty Paper Industry By Michael G. Hillard Understanding Maine’s once-gigantic paper industry and what happened to it is a matter of perspective. Michael Hillard, author of Shredding Paper, a well-researched look at the mills that once employed thousands in communities all over… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Tom Meyers of the Waterfront Alliance

[caption id="attachment_25139" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tom Meyers PHOTO: COURTESY TOM MEYERS[/caption] Tom Meyers has spent his professional life as an active member of working waterfronts. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard for 28 years and as the head of the Portland base, Meyers then spent 13 years as a transportation… SEE MORE

A spring scene on the Peaks Island shore. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Peaks Island soliciting developers for senior facility

When asked, most say that aging at home or aging in an assisted living facility near home are the preferred options. But what if home is on an island, with limited health services, let alone an assisted living facility? A group of Peaks islanders is working to change that status.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Winter in a Tourist Town

In our latest photo essay from The Working Waterfront, photographer Michelle Stapleton captures the quiet time in Old Orchard Beach. [gallery size="large" ids="24868,24860,24867,24859,24866,24865,24858,24862,24861"] SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The island wave is part of self-governing

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. As I drove down Main Street on Vinalhaven for the first time, admiring the dozens of lobster boats moored in Carver’s… SEE MORE

This photo was taken at the 1936 Warren Bicentennial Celebration. From left are: Frank Peters, Rosa Peters, William Peters, Olivia Peters, Sydney Peters, and Grace Carter Peters. PHOTO: COURTESY WARREN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Working Waterfront

Former slaves founded community in the Midcoast

About a mile off Route 1 in the woods of Warren is an off-the-beaten track cemetery. It is the only physical remnant accessible to the public of Peterborough, a once-thriving interracial community that had a major impact on building the economy of coastal Maine. The community was the subject of… SEE MORE

Community

Working Waterfront

In tough year, Maine seafood landings top $500 million

Despite unprecedented market losses, Maine fishermen earned over a half billion dollars for their catch in 2020. Valued at $516,796,614, the ex-vessel value of Maine’s commercially harvested marine resources was the ninth highest on record. “Maine fishermen and seafood dealers weathered one of the most difficult years in memory, but… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Healthcare access challenges older island, rural Mainers

The difficulties that Maine island and rural residents face in accessing healthcare is even more challenging for older residents. While many choose to “age in place” in their homes and communities, their need for health and supportive services often increases with age and the barriers can be overwhelming. A few… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Restoring Hindu

[caption id="attachment_24228" align="alignnone" width="700"] Josh Rowan and Erin Desmond. PHOTO: KELLI PARK[/caption] What could be better than a vessel that encapsulates the timelessness of a love story, the enchantment of a fairy tale, and the mystical allure of a legend? Well, how about one with the spirit of Maine in… SEE MORE