Overall, I’ve found midcoast Maine’s custom wood workers: furniture makers, wood turners, spoon and oyster platter carvers, etc., to be quite singular people. For me however, Christina Vincent stood out even before I met her in person. As the proud daughter of a projects man, from concrete footings to framework to cabinetry, I came-of-age around the rebuilding of the house my sister and I grew up in. Thus, coming across Christina’s work, it was like stumbling upon my staunch childhood persona come to adulthood. I’d never recognized that sentiment in myself before; however, seeing Christina’s beautifully designed and executed pieces, the expert woodwork of a woman, made me want to do a little touchdown dance.

Most small business owners are jugglers. How much can you keep in the air? How effective can you be if everything needs to come back to you? At some point and time, every business owner struggles with this mindset of “I need to do everything,” but this needs to change. Change is scary, but we hope that this next two-part series will help you think a bit beyond all the current priorities and emergencies you are facing.

The opioid crisis is ever-present along the coast of Maine, though it can be hard for many to see or pay attention to, especially during the busy summer season when our towns, peninsulas and islands teem with visitors. Not so for Dr. Jeanne Lambrew, Maine’s newly appointed Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) who, along with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, recently spent a hot summer day touring the medical centers and elder care facilities on the islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven.

We've been paying close attention to how some of this year's biggest issues in the lobster fishing industry might play out for our coastal communities. As peak lobster fishing season approaches, fishing communities are faced with extra challenges this year—the herring bait shortage, impending right whale rules, and the ongoing opioid crisis continues to concern us. Community members have been anticipating how and when these issues might converge, who will be affected, what resources are available, and we are keen to connect people with supportive networks and needed resources.

This month, we decided to share some of our favorite business-themed podcasts. Not necessarily educational resources, but more inspirational. August isn’t the time to step away from your business and learn something new. It’s insane, and we know it’s hard to keep your head above water and not completely burn out. So, if you’re in need of some inspiration to keep you motivated this month, check out some of these business and start-up related podcasts.

For anyone unfamiliar with this area of Maine, Isle au Haut is a small, island community in Penobscot Bay in Knox County, accessible by ferry from Stonington. With a year-round population of around 71 inhabitants, the island is home to portions of Acadia National Park and boasts a landscape made up of blooming trees and oceanfront views. During a recent trip to Isle au Haut, Island Institute summer intern Anastasia Sapirstein takes us on a tour, shares her experience visiting the island for the first time, and highlights some of the key features of this community and its residents.

This legislative update, provided by the Maine Broadband Coalition, highlights the most noteworthy advances for broadband in Maine and summarizes the final outcomes of bills passed and bills that have become law during the first regular session of Maine's 129th Legislative Session. It also highlights bills to watch for during the second regular session beginning in January 2020.

Last month, we wrote about the business structure of B-Corporations (Benefit Corporations), also known as a B-Corp. B-Corps are businesses that go through a voluntary certification process to ensure that the company not only maintains a healthy bottom line, but is also responsive to the community and the environment in which it operates. Craig Olson of our Small Business team notes that through his experience of running various nonprofits in the past, he knew about B-Corps, but he hadn’t heard much about social enterprises until recently.

On June 25, 2019, Island Institute staff facilitated a meeting co-hosted by the Maine State Library and held at the Rockland Public Library to discuss the digital inclusion work happening in libraries throughout Maine. Attendees representing fifteen libraries from Washington County to Wells, Maine, shared experiences and exchanged resources for meeting the needs of communities in a world increasingly dependent on the internet.