Working Waterfront

‘Here we go!’ time

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 the angle of the sun meant “cozy time” would soon come to an end. “I’m not ready for winter to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The community born of kitchens

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, mugs, dishes, and flatware are enlivened with good smells and conversation. We cluster up to exchange news and views, and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The care that backs up caretaking

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 that had made the rounds through the high school before filtering down to the younger kids. She spent a delightful… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

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 from Georgia who has been living on Vinalhaven the last several years, was named by the Maine Principals Association as… SEE MORE

Laura Doran and David McDougal, seen here with daughter Marigold, are the new owners of North Haven Grocery and Inn. PHOTO: WILLIAM TREVASKIS

Working Waterfront

The island grocery’s essential role

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 the island store can be both a lifeline and source of anxiety. The “For Sale” sign at North Haven Grocery… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Class clashes and conspiracy logic

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 they are from away. Walter and Catherine “Charley” Rath arrived in Sneeds Harbor, located somewhere along the rim of Mount… SEE MORE

Eleven-year-old Jack Moore flies with the late Kevin Waters of Penobscot Island Air. PHOTO: COURTESY AVERY LARNED

Working Waterfront

Islesboro student flying solo at 16

[caption id="attachment_36036" align="alignleft" width="500"] Moore flies with an instructor. PHOTO: COURTESY AVERY LARNED[/caption] Living on an island and relying on a ferry to get to the mainland and the wider world might inspire a young person to seek other modes of transportation. But for Jack Moore, 16, pursuing an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ocean acidification threatens blue economy

In a state renowned for its lobster and shellfish, Mainers understand the importance of a healthy ocean. But you don’t have to spend your mornings on a fishing boat hauling in the day’s catch or even live near the coast to be affected by our changing and warming seas. Ocean… SEE MORE

From left, Dave Edson of Friends of Acadia’s board of directors; Kevin Schneider, park superintendent; Jack Kelley, Friends of Acadia board chairman, and Eric Stiles, Friends of Acadia president and CEO, in front of the Kingsleigh Inn in Southwest Harbor. PHOTO: GINNY MAJKA/FRIENDS OF ACADIA

Working Waterfront

Friends of Acadia purchases inn for housing

In March, Friends of Acadia became the official owner of the Kingsleigh Inn in Southwest Harbor. Formerly a bed and breakfast inn that housed visitors to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia plans to convert the inn to workforce housing for the park’s seasonal employees. Though… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fictional drama added to shameful reality

This Other Eden By Paul Harding W.W. Norton & Co., 2023 Kate McBrien needs not even ten words to describe her reaction to This Other Eden. One will do: “Offensive.” Maine’s state archivist has found getting through Paul Harding’s newest coastal novel something of a challenge. “It perpetuates all the… SEE MORE