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

A plethora of peaches

The peach deluge is over for this year. For two weeks from the end of August into the second week of September a flood of peaches and a surge of panic fill the house while the three peach trees in my life deposit their fruit on the ground, in waiting… 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

John Pearsall poses in the Portland offices of Elite Airways with a model of one of the aircraft his company flies.

Working Waterfront

Portland-based Elite Airways finds sports niche

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 2.5 million people fly in and out of U.S. airports each day. Though the airline industry is dominated by large companies, a clever entrepreneur can find a niche to serve within that volume of passengers. John Pearsall is that clever entrepreneur. Pearsall owns and… 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

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Trapped on film in ‘Trap to Table’ promotion

“Trap to Table” is a four-part web-based video series by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative to promote new ideas for new shell lobster. My husband, Bruce Fernald, was one of four fishermen paired with a chef for a day of fishing, cooking, and eating. You can see the video on… 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

The church on Isle au Haut as seen across the thoroughfare.

Working Waterfront

Isle au Haut church faces crossroads

By Bob Gerber Isle au Haut’s Union Congregational Church occupies a prominent hilltop overlooking the thoroughfare between Kimball Island and the village at the island’s north end. It was built in 1857 at a cost of $1,649 during a period of fervent evangelistic efforts to bring organized religion to island community… SEE MORE