Sam Lemonick

Bob Bailey retired a couple years ago, but you'd never know it standing in his Dingley Island workshop. He's currently building or repairing a dozen or more engines for customers and friends across the Northeast and all the way down to Florida.

The Cundy's Harbor Volunteer Fire Department needs more emergency responders. Several members have recently resigned or retired from the service, and new recruits are scarce. "We're holding on by the skin of our teeth," says Fire and Rescue Chief Benjamin Wallace Jr.

Stephanie Alexander sounds tired. "We've talked about it for years and just can't seem to come up with any solution," she says. It, in this case, is the declining membership of the Merriconeag Grange.