Island Ad-Vantages publisher and editor Nat Barrows at his typewriter in the early years.

Working Waterfront

Fifty years at the intersection of community and journalism

“People, events, and writing of them is my bag. A weekly newspaper is an ideal way—if used to its proper potential—to do this. You are or should be at the center of the action, be able to become familiar with the business and personal interests of the people in your… SEE MORE

Kelly Corson has seen considerable success at The Travelin Lobster

Working Waterfront

Town Hill: MDI’s up-and-coming hub

By Laurie Schreiber Bar Harbor is a booming tourist town on Mount Desert Island, for the millions of people visiting Acadia National Park each year. Other towns on the island get their share of visitors, too. But in recent years, the village of Town Hill has quietly gained ground as… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island plans community read on difficult issue

By Courtney Naliboff Conversations about end-of-life decisions can be emotional, challenging, and are often avoided until a moment of crisis. But a group of health care providers on North Haven hopes to help families and loved ones begin those conversations earlier through a community read. Nurse practitioner and Southern Harbor… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island-bound on a rainy day, not a bad fate

By Larry McIntosh I wonder if the old adage, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, it’ll change,” works the other way too. If you do like the weather, will it also change? Unfortunately, it did. Even though the forecast was for partly to mostly cloudy, and 60… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island Lighthouse gets TLC

By Jennifer Helman Photos by Dale Joyce After withstanding coastal Maine weather for almost 150 years, the Swan’s Island Lighthouse is getting a much-needed facelift. The rehabilitation project consists of three phases: bricks, mortar and metal; foundation and drainage; and catwalk restoration. Tito’s Masonry of Portland is doing the first… SEE MORE

Sidewalk work on Winter Street in Rockland this spring.

Working Waterfront

But is it worth it?

Analysis by Tom Groening I drive to work in Rockland each day by darting onto the one-way Main Street and then making a quick right turn onto Winter Street, which leads to a municipal parking lot. Earlier this year, my routine changed for several weeks, as Winter Street was closed… SEE MORE

Jeri D.W. Spurling at her Islesford home.

Working Waterfront

Big hearts build tiny house for veteran

By Jacqueline Weaver “Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.” —Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond Architect Jeri D. W. Spurling has dedicated her professional life to serving those in need. In fact, the motto of Spurling Design, based in her home on Islesford in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island life still holds capacity for surprise

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. By Maria Keeler Seated in my office in early June, I am surrounded by layers of evidence that I both work… SEE MORE

The top of Cadillac Mountain on a busy summer day.

Working Waterfront

A coastal conundrum—taxes or tourism?

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon Acadia National Park broke records this summer when more than 35,000 people visited on a single day. The increased traffic led to near-constant road and parking lot closures and, according to the National Park Service, an unprecedented number of emergencies. In just ten years, Acadia’s visitation… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Who says there’s nothing to do?

By Courtney Naliboff I’m writing this from a point in time two weeks before the end of the school year, one day before the spring concert, and just over a week before my daughter’s preschool graduation. I’m doubled up on meetings more days than not, staring down the barrel of… SEE MORE