A cruise ship seen from the North Ridge Trail on Cadillac Mountain.

Working Waterfront

Cruise ship industry important to Maine, but so is environment

Thirty years ago, any cruise ship visiting Maine made headlines in newspapers and prompted live remote shots by TV stations. Then, for towns like Bar Harbor and Portland, cruise ships became a routine and anticipated part of the tourism season. In the last 20 years, cruise ships have become as… 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

A wife tells her husband’s abuse story

Dirt Roads & Diner Pie by Shonna Milliken Humphrey Published by Central Recovery Press, 2016 The title Dirt Roads & Diner Pie suggests a travel guide, tips for a trip off the beaten path, advice for a journey into the heart and soul of a place, with a chance to… SEE MORE

Low tide on the west side of Sears Island in Searsport.

Working Waterfront

The Gulf of Maine: return of the seaweed

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. It may look the same from the surface, but the Gulf of Maine is changing faster than nearly all other ocean bodies. We’ve all heard about the rate of warming sea temperatures, but the seafloor is also undergoing major shifts.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fukushima conference suggests new ways to think about energy

Our imaginations often are limited when we face complex problems. For example, we assume the solution to heating homes must exist within the confines of the home. We also assume that our electricity must be generated at a distance. As we head into winter, the cost of heating and electricity… 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

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