Firefighters squeeze into the galley to fight a simulated grease fire.

Working Waterfront

Fire in the galley!

Charles Salerno surveys the scene with a sharp eye. Several figures in bright yellow and orange jackets and pants crawl up to a doorway, their breathing masks and oxygen tanks making movement difficult. Their helmets bounce off of one another's visors, and their heavy gloves make handling the 2-inch hose… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Chebeague celebrates Islander with free passage on April 6

The distance between the Stone Wharf on Chebeague Island and the Cousins Island landing is just 1.7 miles. But over the 30 years that the Islander ferry has been making the daily runs, she has logged enough miles to take her to the moon and halfway home. On Monday, April 6, the Chebeague… SEE MORE

Children take off in their hunt for the Easter eggs in this snapshot from decades ago.

Working Waterfront

Hunting eggs, hunting spring

Charlotte image The sun is shining through a milky sky. A warmth beats its way through the crisp early spring air. Stalks of new green grass struggle to poke through the thick, dead, brown mat of old grass left from the winter, and gray trees have yet to offer… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Dreaming of a not-too-distant future

It's early March as I write, and snow is still piled up to the crotch of the pin cherry tree. But you may be reading this in early April, and I hope you'll permit me to do a little fantasizing about what it might be like, a month from now.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The unspoken problem—island struggles with substance abuse

It's not hard to make the case that substance abuse is a community problem. In island communities, its impacts may be greater, and the solutions more difficult. The subject was discussed at the Feb. 26 meeting of the Maine Islands Coalition in Augusta. It remains difficult to discuss openly, especially… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A new way to help those in crisis—mental health first aid

Everyone has mental health, just as we all have physical health. Our minds are part of who we are and they impact our quality of life. We all have our good days and our challenging ones. We may experience anxiety as part of our job or depression due to lack… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Going to see the snow in SoCal

Just about every other year my husband and I travel to Southern California to visit his family for Christmas. We leave the island, which is often covered in snow, or if we're less lucky rain, ice or slush, and take the boat to the mainland and drive to Boston and… SEE MORE

Students who are part of the Outer-Islands Teaching and Learning Collaborative play outside during an inter-island field trip.

Working Waterfront

Small island schools get creative for phys ed

OK, now squats with our arms up! Let's count down… 20…19...18...17… Straight arms! Pretend like you're sitting in a chair. Early on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in a few island schools along the coast, the video conference meeting ring comes through, lights flicker on, and faces showing varying degrees of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

No need for selfies: Photographer captures islanders in ‘We Are Swan’s Island’ project

SWAN'S ISLAND — Whether it's a wedding, reunion or holiday celebration, photographers often struggle to get all the key family members in their shots. Imagine how hard it was for Miranda Battiste to capture the family that is the island's year-round population. By most measures, Batiste succeeded. Not only are… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islesboro voters to consider $3 million for broadband

ISLESBORO — Voters will be asked at their May 9 annual town meeting to authorize borrowing $3 million to build a broadband Internet network for the island. In a front-page opinion piece in the January/February edition of the Islesboro Island News, Arch Gillies, chairman of the board of selectmen, argued in… SEE MORE