Working Waterfront

Peter Ralston’s ‘Pentecost’ named Maine’s ‘most iconic’ image

You know the image. Prints have been sold on every continent but Antarctica. And you know it because it tells a story, a story that resonates both with those visiting our state and those who have lived here for generations. “Pentecost,” as Peter Ralston called the photograph he shot that… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On offshore wind, Island Institute weighs community costs, benefits

Renewable energy is critical for all of us as a response to climate-driven changes that are already impacting our fisheries and coastal infrastructure. It is important that we continue to move toward clean energy while also considering the costs inherent to energy generation. Leaders of island communities not connected to… SEE MORE

A view of Swan's Island's Burnt Cove Lighthouse.

Working Waterfront

PUC vote raises question: Are we all Swan’s Island?

If you live in Jonesport, Rangeley or New Sweden, you may not feel like you have much in common with Swan’s Island and neighboring Frenchboro Island, and that’s assuming that you’ve even heard of them before. But a recent decision at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) suggests you have more… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Family launches Chebeague-based water taxi

Kevin Wentworth is not an island native, but his take on life there probably rings true with those who are life-long islanders. “Living on an island is a privilege, but sometimes it’s a struggle,” he said. To ease at least part of the struggle—and to fill a business niche—Wentworth and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Conference: It’s time to plan for higher seas

It’s no longer a matter of “if,” but rather “when.” Maine’s 3,500-mile coastline is being buffeted by higher seas, bigger tidal surges and storms, all the result of climate change. Preparing for these impacts was the theme of a conference co-hosted by the pro-planning group GrowSmart Maine and the Island… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Mom was a strong woman, ahead of her time

What an intriguing deadline for the Cranberry Report—the day before the presidential election! Even on a little island the political ads have been constant and inescapable. I will be glad to have a break from it, but then again, what a fascinating time in history. When I got my absentee ballot,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Cider-making warms the soul

If you grew up drinking the kind of cider now most widely available, then you are in blessed ignorance of what cider can be. The rest of us nurse fond memories, or make our own. A few years ago, with the threat of e-coli infesting our favorite fall beverage, the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Navigating the joyous holiday season as a religious minority

I love Christmas on North Haven. Colored lights criss-cross Main Street, the community gathers at Waterman's for hot chocolate, cookies and carols before a tree lighting, and we usually have at least a dusting of snow. Paradoxically, perhaps, for a Jewish person, I look forward to the church service the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

North Haven siblings, friend launch brewery

Ben Lovell didn't plan to return to North Haven and open a brewery after graduating from Bowdoin College, but after spending time in New York, he returned to his island home to work as a stern man on a lobster boat. "It was the off season and we had nothing… SEE MORE

Boats in a cove on Long Island in Casco Bay

Working Waterfront

Learning the meaning of ‘neighbor’ informs my work

Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Angelique Williams is working with the town of Long Island in Casco Bay on telemedicine and aging… SEE MORE