Photovoltaic panels in a yard on Islesboro.

Working Waterfront

Islesboro recharges for energy independence

Technological innovations like electric cars, photovoltaic panels, air-source heat pumps, and micro-grids can stir up a lively discussion at a gathering like the fourth annual Islesboro Energy Conference, hosted on the island on Sept. 8 by the community’s energy team. But organizer Toby Martin was more interested in the practical.… SEE MORE

The array of "listening" equipment at Cutler.

Working Waterfront

Defending the nation Downeast

By Tom Walsh Among the people working dawn to dusk on the Downeast coast are those whose bosses are in the Pentagon. The rich history of the 20th century Cold War military presence in the region continues to resonate. That’s especially true within the Hancock County village of Prospect Harbor and… SEE MORE

Community

Sisters Betsy and Jill Philbrook fish from their boat off Swan's Island. Betsy first fished with her grandmother

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island honors women who fished

PHOTO COURTESY SWAN'S ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Betsy Philbrook, in 1988, rigs her first trap. Betsy Philbrook’s grandmother, Melita Staples, was up for anything except cooking and housecleaning. “She used to bait tubs when she was younger,” said Philbrook. “She was much happier driving a dumptruck or working on a dock than staying… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Summer friends change island’s rhythm

The swift, ephemeral nature of summer on an island is felt in many ways. The sudden frenzy of activity as caretakers open houses and mow fields, lobster boats leaving their moorings for 12 hours a day, six days a week, and lines forming outside Calderwood Hall just before they open… SEE MORE

A drone view of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Working Waterfront

North Haven comes together for its elderly

WILLIAM TREVASKIS Hannah Pingree, right, speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Southern Harbor House. Kathi Lovell, board member of Southern Harbor Eldercare Services is at center, and the facility's administrator, Lindsey Beverage, is at far left. Thanks to over 400 donors, $3.4 million has been raised for the construction… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Parking lot, new schedule drives ferry discussion

Despite the end of the busy tourist season, the Maine State Ferry Service has a full plate for the early fall. Members of the service’s citizen advisory board learned about maintenance, upgrade, scheduling, and legal matters at their Sept. 6 meeting in Rockland. Most visible will be work on the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

New family revives Abel’s in Somesville

By Laurie Schreiber LAURIE SCHREIBER Carmen Sanford shows off a pie she had baked. On a sunny June noon at a food truck called Ted’s Take-Out, Shae Stanley was taking an order for a chicken wrap from a frequent customer while her husband, Ted Stanley Jr., prepared the… SEE MORE

James Singerling is chairman of the Great Cranberry Island Historical Society’s campaign to raise $450

Working Waterfront

Cranberry House, a thriving island fixture, is ready to expand

TOM GROENING Cranberry House On any given day, locals and visitors to Cranberry House on Great Cranberry Island might attend a play, concert, or summer lecture, or view historical exhibits featuring island artifacts and personalities. On the grounds outside, they might walk the trails, visit a Revolutionary War cemetery, fish… SEE MORE

The Islesford Dock restaurant is in its second season under new owners.

Working Waterfront

Restaurant reboot: Islesford Dock ready for another 20 years

At the Islesford Dock Restaurant & Gallery on Little Cranberry Island, co-owner Michael Boland is deep into his second season enjoying the unique nature of an island institution. “I love restaurants in general. I enjoy the interaction with the guests,” he said in an email interview. “It’s a pretty intimate… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Confessions of a coastal upbringing

By Cortney Simmons Between my pointer finger and thumb I can feel the dark green cloth of the sofa as I gently rub it against itself. I gaze out three great windows overlooking a spectacular, coastal view. As warm beams of light drape a dreamy haze on a sunny… SEE MORE