Working Waterfront

Letters to the Editor: History, Gulf Stream and wampum

‘A great little history’ To the editor: Thanks for writing the piece on Arthur Rothstein, (“History spills from frame of film,” April issue). I'm a great, great, granddaughter of Rabbi Israel Perlstein and Chania, and this is a treasure of little details I didn't know. (My great grandmother was Ida, the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Public spaces are good for the economy

Thriving public spaces contribute to the economic vitality of a community. Early New England communities often were built around a public common or public green. Initially, they might have served as grazing land for animals or a place for the exchange of goods. They often helped to organize and showcase… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Things ain’t right’

On the surface, Jon Keller’s novel Of Sea and Cloud is a beautifully rendered story of a small Downeast fishing village losing its traditional way of life. Keller worked as a sternman aboard the South Wind, Oscar Look Jr.’s boat out of South Addison for two years. He learned well… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Dear, yet not-so-dear April

Have you fallen off on writing “thank you” notes? I know I have, and I’m not proud of it. I used to enjoy writing long letters to people before I became a mother. Then computers, the Internet, e-mail and Facebook also came along to lure me away from the handwritten word.… SEE MORE

Bathing suits of the modest variety dry in the sun on Peaks Island.

Working Waterfront

Just two strings attached

A few years ago I went to Florida on vacation. I’d never seen a woman in a thong before. Of course I’d seen pictures of them, but seeing them actually move around close enough to, well, study, is different. I’m glad I waited. At this stage, happily married and with… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lessons learned from bread-making extend to island 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. Jessica Duma works on Great Cranberry Island with the historical society. I may be the… SEE MORE

Friends pose for a photo on a visit to Peaks Island.

Working Waterfront

Policy principle: keep dollars in state

You don’t have to be an economist to understand a simple way to make Maine more prosperous: work to have more dollars coming into the state than leaving. But unfortunately, many state policy initiatives are not measured using this scale. We have enjoyed one visible example of this principle over… SEE MORE

The southern half of the Penobscot watershed.

Working Waterfront

Taking the long view means answering tough questions

“We will be the ancestors someday.” This truism came from Penobscot Nation tribal elder Butch Phillips as part of the welcome to over 300 people who attended the Penobscot Watershed Conference on April 9. The statement was a weighty one—when future generations look back, what will they learn from the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fishermen’s forum includes lobster check-up

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. In addition to the news that lobster fishermen’s landings totaled a record $500 million in 2015, there were several science updates at the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum that addressed common concerns about the fishery. Where do we stand with shell… SEE MORE

Zain Padamsee collects ballots at a recent chili cook-off event on Frenchboro.

Working Waterfront

My time as a wise man

Editor's note: 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. Zain Padamsee works on Frenchboro with an after-school program and with the town office.… SEE MORE