The Working Waterfront - July 2023

Will lobstermen ever embrace

multihulls?

Lower fuel consumption, more comfort are upsides

BY STEPHEN RAPPAPORT

Along the Maine coast, spring arrives with an explosion of daffodils, the sound of peepers, and a pilgrimage of spotted salamanders crossing darkened roads.

Life also returns to boatyards that provide winter homes to Maine’s lobster fleet, as fishermen ready their boats for another season on the water.

To the casual eye, the lobster boats look much the same, distinguished only by size and paint job. All-white is the leading color scheme, but a few hulls are painted black, or green, or perhaps some bright primary color. The pilothouses—open on at least one side so the lobsterman can haul traps out of the water and set them on the rail, are almost always white.

In shape and form, the boats share a high bow, sweeping sheer, and relatively low sides in the middle of the boat—the traditional Downeast look seen in countless photographs of picturesque Maine harbors. That look is also reflected in the designs of “lobster yachts” popular with many recreational boaters and

turned out with varying degrees of fit, finish, and technology by many Maine boatbuilders.

All the boats, whether built to haul lobster gear far offshore in the Gulf of Maine or to cruise between summer anchorages, share another feature besides their traditional looks. Like the lobster boats designed

a century ago, give or take, by such legendary Beals Island boatbuilders as Will Frost, nearly all powerboats drawn by designers today are monohulls.

Could that change? Could a multihull—a twinhulled catamaran or three-hulled trimaran—ever

Storm damage closes Bean lobster pier

Future of Tenants Harbor buying station unclear

BY STEPHEN RAPPAPORT

Apowerful winter storm that left thousands without power for days and brought devastation to communities all along the Maine coast in December also struck a blow

at Linda Bean’s lobster empire, though the ultimate impact on the high-profile business is unclear.

The storm that struck just days before Christmas destroyed a wharf in Tenants Harbor that served as one of three lobster buying stations on Penobscot

CAR-RT SORT POSTAL CUSTOMER

Bay for the employee-owned, Rocklandbased Bean Maine Lobster, Inc. The company also buys lobsters at wharfs in Port Clyde and in Vinalhaven.

A spokesman in the town of St. George assessor’s office (Tenants Harbor is a village in St. George) said that Bean leased the wharf, which has been condemned as unsafe, from an entity known as Tenants Harbor Sunshine LLC, which shares an address in Vassalboro with Bean Management LLC. Sunshine acquired the former Witham’s Lobster wharf in 2009.

Tweedie said that after the December storm, representatives of Prock Marine, a construction company based in Rockland that specializes in the construction and repair of wharfs, piers, and other large marine projects, came to Tenants Harbor to assess the condition of the Bean company’s wharf.

According to Tweedie, the storm had washed out the wharf’s underpinnings, rendering it unsafe.

With Prock reportedly unable to start repair work for a year, the wharf was shut down. That forced the ten or so boat captains who unloaded at the wharf to find another place to sell their lobsters.

Some of them, Tweedie said, have gone to Port Clyde, where Bean also has a lobster buying operation. A few have

The Tenants Harbor Fisherman’s Co-op, located further up the harbor at the former Miller’s Wharf, is currently the largest lobster buying operation in Tenants Harbor. Eric Tweedie, a former lobsterman himself, manages the co-op. continued on page 6

The swing bridge that crosses Townsend Gut in Southport is operated from April 29 to Sept. 30, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., by a tender who opens it it to allow boat traffic to pass every half hour as needed. See more photos of Southport Island on pages 12-13.

PHOTO: MICHELE STAPLETON continued on page 7

According to Tweedie, the storm had washed out the wharf’s underpinnings, rendering it unsafe.

Documenting Casco Bay through art

Long Island native Roberta Ricker’s paintings depict saltwater life

BY CLARKE CANFIELD PHOTOS BY MICHELE STAPLETON

Hundreds of Roberta Ricker’s colorful paintings depicting coastal and island life hang in homes in Maine and beyond. The paintings are a kind of artistic documentary of ferries and other work vessels in Casco Bay, and of life on Long Island when she was growing up there decades ago.

Her lifelong connection to island life and work boats of all sorts has served as her inspiration, resulting in detailed works of art that span nearly 70 years.

In all, she has created hundreds of paintings that depict ferries, tugboats, fishing boats, oil tankers, and even the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston.

Others show scenes on Long Island: beaches, coves with sailing vessels passing by, clam diggers, lobster boats, and portraits of local characters. One eye-catching painting from long ago shows the late Geneva Rogers behind the candy counter of her small island store, The Spa, with a young girl in front of the counter with a popsicle stick out her mouth.

Ricker describes herself as a “representational artist,” painting what she sees and what she’s interested in. She first started drawing with pencil and paper when she was just four years old; when she couldn’t find a piece of paper, so strong was her desire to sketch that she would secretly draw on the blank pages in the front of books in her family’s Long Island home.

“I have a strong interest in the subject matter, which is why I have lots of boats and lots of people,” she said at the South Portland home where she and her husband have lived for 36 years. “I’ve always said you come through the birth canal with talent. It’s not something you learn. It’s something you have.”

Ricker’s love of painting may have started on Long Island, but it was her daily ferry rides to the mainland to attend Portland High School in the late 1950s that sparked her passion for both boats and a young deckhand named Bob Ricker.

It was on those rides, back when she was still Roberta Gomez, that she was drawn to Bob, two years her senior. They got married in 1961, a year after she graduated high school, and had two children, Suzanne and Linden.

During his career, Bob was a boat captain on ferries on Casco Bay, on Lake Champlain in Vermont, and for one winter on Penobscot Bay. For many years he captained small oil tankers, 270 feet or so long, on coastal routes from Boston to Portland and Bangor.

In the later years of his career, wishing to spend more time at home, he worked on the Maine Responder oil spill response vessel in Portland; Roberta joined him on board, both as a cook and a seaman.

Through it all, she cranked out painting after painting, primarily in acrylic, creating a historical artistic view of ferries in Casco Bay—with names like the Abenaki, the Berkley, the Emita, the Island Romance, the Tourist, to name just a few. One of her favorites, which hangs in their home, shows the Gurnet, a picturesque wooden steamer that was built more than a century ago and ran in Casco Bay until 1964, when it was damaged in a fire.

If you look closely at the painting, you’ll see where Roberta has painted in Bob in the wheelhouse up high, daughter Suzanne as a young girl on the lower deck at the bow, and herself and son Linden on the second deck.

Her largest paintings were 4-by-5 feet, the smallest the size of a standard sheet of paper. And as fast as she painted them, she sold them at art shows, galleries, and exhibits, while giving some away to friends. A dozen or so of her larger paintings of the ferries were exhibited one summer at the Casco Bay Lines terminal on the Portland waterfront.

David Ward, a former longtime captain of the Maine Responder, is among those who has one of Roberta’s paintings. Ward bought a painting of the Maine Responder that Roberta created and hung it in the lounge of the 200-foot vessel. There it lived until the ship was deactivated in 2016, at which time Ward brought the painting to his Scarborough home. (The Maine Responder was later converted into a pilot boat in New York).

“The painting shows the ship coming into Portland Harbor,” Ward said. “I thought it was unique that we had an artist married to a crew member, and who was a crew member herself, who could paint a painting of the ship.”

Roberta Ricker

A print of a painting of tugboats in Boston at the Boston Fuel Transportation Co., where Bob Ricker worked for many years, painted in 1990.

Original painting of the Vincent Tibbetts, a small oil tanker that Bob Ricker captained for many years, running a coastal route from Boston to Portland to Bangor (1987).

“I have a strong interest in the subject matter, which is why I have lots of boats and lots of people.”

Roberta and Suzanne have been slowly putting together a spiral-bound notebook with thumbnail photos and brief descriptions of about 150 of her paintings. But that’s only a sampling of her total body of work, and the notebook is a work in progress.

Now 80, Roberta stopped painting about five years ago, suffering from what she calls “painter’s block.”

“I was all painted out,” she says.

But she’s a creative sort—she’s also written a book and makes elaborate quilts—so she wouldn’t be surprised if she resumes painting down the road. In fact, she has her easel standing at the ready in a corner of her dining room for the day the calling returns.

Gerald “Punkin” Lemoine

LEFT: Original painting of the Gurnet, a wooden steamer ferry built more than a century ago and which ran in Casco Bay until 1964.

RIGHT: A print of Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse in South Portland.

Schoodic scenic highway adds kid appeal

Kids Quest installed signs, hands-on activities

BY KELLI PARK

The Schoodic National Scenic Byway was established as a way of reviving a region reeling from a base closure. More than 25 years later, some local folks have broadened the appeal of the 29mile long road, making it kid- and family-friendly.

The Kids Quest installations along the road earned the local group the Innovation & Creativity Award at the Governor’s Tourism Conference. Gov. Janet Mills presented the award at the March 28 event in Bangor. Committee members who helped land the national scenic byway designation began collaborating in 1997, mindful of the void left by the departure of the U.S. Navy base from Winter Harbor. In 2000, the Schoodic National Byway was established to help prevent the town from “drying up” by attracting visitors, explains Peter Drinkwater, an original committee member who owns the 5 & 10 store in Winter Harbor.

The byway winds through Hancock, Sullivan, Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor, and Prospect Harbor, and includes a section in Acadia National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula. Its culture and history are as rich as it is diverse, with industrial ties to the railroad, granite quarries, logging, canneries, and the working waterfront, including lobster, clams, worms, and seaweed.

“It’s all really condensed in 29 miles. It’s very interesting,” said Barbara Shanahan, a committee chairwoman, who has also been involved in the committee since its origin.

“We’re also part of Acadia National Park,” she said. “That makes us very unique.”

Community partners and committee members have worked to develop scenic stops with interpretive signage along the byway, relying on fundraising from state and federal grants. The goal has been to

improve the community, enhance the experiences of locals and visitors, and boost economic development.

“Everybody has their thing, and they’ve all joined us,” said Shanahan, who runs an antique business alongside her daughter’s ice cream shop in Sullivan. “One of our goals is to enhance tourism because that boosts the economy in everybody’s town. The local fishermen, the wormers, the clammers, the artisans, the ice cream, the antiques—they all benefit.”

In 2012, after the byway was established, the committee began to think about what should come next.

“Our group was like, ‘What can we do more?’ We kept adding to it,” said Larry Johannesman, landscape architect at the Maine Department of Transportation who has been on the committee since 2005. “How can we fill this whole idea out? How can we make it cohesive and fun too?”

With that in mind, the committee aimed to increase youth engagement at the interpretive sites along the byway. Initial support for the endeavor came in many forms, from grant funding to spaghetti dinner proceeds to contributions from the towns along the byway.

Over time, the vision manifested as Kids Quest, designed to engage children and their parents in the region’s history, ecology, and culture at seven outdoor locations along the byway, with emphasis on the working waterfront.

Kids Quest creates opportunities for experiential education with interactive exhibits at each of the seven sites, featuring:

• gravity in relation to the reversing falls at Tidal Falls in Hancock

• trains and railroads at Waukeag Station in Hancock

• a granite quarry with tools and a scavenger hunt at Gordon’s Wharf in Sullivan

• a handicap-accessible telescope with a wildlife tic-tac-toe activity at the Frenchman Bay scenic turnout

• a shellfish and worm identification game in the mud flats at Long Cove rest area

• a seaweed activity at Sand Cove in Winter Harbor

• a mini lobster boat and mini lighthouse and lobster-themed games in Prospect Harbor.

“The whole effort features the idea of the working waterfront,” said Johannesman. “We’re interpreting that to show kids and visitors lobster fishing, clamming, worming, and seaweed. It’s really tied to the type of work that they do in the community.”

The Kids Quest pamphlet features interactive games and activities that accompany the educational exhibits at each of the sites along the byway and is also available online. The pamphlet was first introduced during a celebration at a local festival in 2022 and can be found in local businesses and at town offices in the area.

“The idea is to promote business and economic development with the flavor of the Schoodic area,” said Johannesman. “It’s marketing the byway and supporting local businesses while having fun—it’s the trifecta.”

The committee is hoping to create another layer of engagement by developing Kids Quest-inspired lawn games at local businesses with outdoor space to cultivate dimensions of participation within the community while reaching new audiences.

“One of the beauties of the Schoodic community is that there are so many wonderful little nooks and crannies with beautiful people and beautiful businesses in them,” said Johannesman. “This knits all of those things together. Every community has hidden gems.”

For more information, visit schoodicbyway.org.

book reviews

A kinder, gentler visit to Maine

The novel’s coastal setting is so serene

the rocky shoreline and islands of the Midcoast (even though the cover art of a wide sandy beach suggests elsewhere).

I can envision its beautiful old house (of course it has a name—“Ships View”) that is central to much of the action. Owned by successive generations in a family, their wealth allows not just having a seaside estate lived in only several months each year, but also affords the upkeep and staffing that keep it operational.

aware of? Vacationland really was like sending my mind on a vacation and I momentarily enjoyed smelling their roses.

I read a lot of fiction set in Maine. I’m glad I’ve read Carolyn Chute’s books and gained insight into another region, political perspective, and lifestyle. Chute’s books (most famous: The Beans of Egypt, Maine) were not good at lulling me to sleep. Instead, I felt an existential challenge: there are lots of issues I wasn’t paying attention to, wasn’t aware of.

Vacationland: A Novel

By Meg Mitchell Moore (2022)

REVIEW BY TINA COHEN

DEAR READERS, a true confession: I’m late to this party, reading what are known as “beach books,” “escapist novels,” or “summer fiction.” These books have romance in them, but the focus seems as much on managing complex relationships with friends and family as any swashbuckling going on.

As New York Times reviewer Elisabeth Egan said about the multiple series written in this genre by the very popular and prolific Elin Hilderbrand, “They’re beach reads with an undertow—a confluence of frivolity… and gravity.”

All this serves as introduction to author Meg Mitchell Moore and her recent book, Vacationland: A Novel. (A recommendation by Hilderbrand features prominently on its cover.)

I picked it up because of its title, and was delighted to find it was set in environs I know well,

As I began to read Vacationland, I found it oddly soothing. Even when problems came up, the kinks could get worked out and fairly promptly. Sometimes all it took was a nice dinner in a nice restaurant, with expensive wine.

I was being lulled into a world where some bad things happened but could be easily remedied. I enjoyed my time visiting that world. An aging parent with serious health issues? Children needing babysitting while on vacation so Mom can get some writing done? No problem! It felt magical.

While some of the concerns of the family owning “Ships View” resonated with me, others—and I won’t spoil the book’s surprises—were bigger and more complex, requiring more than just a bottle of Henri Bourgeois Sancerre to resolve.

Have I stumbled into the sisterhood of summer novel reading and am on my way to becoming hooked? I can see how that can occur. Vacationland let me switch off the part of my brain that is too often analytical, data-driven, and reality-based.

Instead, I momentarily stopped asking questions. So what if many of the characters were “the one percent”? Why does life have to be so hard for so many others? What’s wrong with privilege and generational wealth, an access to resources on a completely different level than most of us are even

Island landscapes, island stories Photographer, writer collaborate to depict Vinalhaven

Greenberg is a professionally trained landscape photographer in the mold of Ansel Adams, who in fact was a mentor to Greenberg during his early years as a struggling artist. Greenberg arrived on Vinalhaven in 1977, an urban pioneer, and found an entire universe of mesmerizing rock formations on the island’s highly crenelated shorelines. His early black and white photographs of the island’s rock formations are beautifully featured throughout the book.

Vinalhaven—Portrait of a Maine Island

Photos by Joel Greenberg

Narratives by Phil Crossman

Available at New Era Gallery on Vinalhaven, and Sherman’s Books

REVIEW BY PHILIP CONKLING

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. The beautifully composed, nuanced images of Joel Greenberg together with Phil Crossman’s stories are the threads that weave these lovely images together into a fully realized rare experience. This book will live on, long after we are all gone.

I should quickly add that it is hard to be objective about a book concerning an island I know well, by an acclaimed photographic artist I published years ago in Island Journal, accompanied by acutely observed narratives of many island friends and neighbors from Vinalhaven’s most well-known, wry and witty writer.

The island’s landscape was also, to Greenberg’s eye, erotically charged, inspiring him to pair sensuous human bodies of both the male and female persuasion within the folds and fractures of Vinalhaven’s hard granites and abandoned quarries. Greenberg was so charged with the beauty of the landscape that he refused to tell Brooklyn friends where he disappeared each summer for fear of others disturbing his Eden.

Early in his annual island adventure, Greenberg met Robert Indiana, an artist and like him a refugee from New York City. Indiana told Greenberg to start taking pictures of the people of Vinalhaven, which began his journey into the soul of the island. In 1982, Indiana introduced Greenberg to Phil Crossman who became Greenberg’s initial passport into the community, vouching for the unknown city slicker under the black hood of an unwieldy 8 x 10 view camera.

One understands that without such a passport to explore Vinalhaven’s interior, Greenberg could not have captured the soulful portraits of the likes of Cowboy Jack Watt, cracking crabs; Richard Williams, more widely known on-island as “Gweeka;” the prim Finnish matron Jennie Webster;

But Vacationland provided affirmation and assurance: the world holds surprises but problems work out, even disappear. It is nice to feel that is possible— a very human need. People vote in elections, donate to causes, attend religious services, and see therapists for some of that assurance.

I’m thinking “beach reads” offer more than I realized. At worst, I pictured them as a kind of voyeurism of an elite lifestyle (with some schadenfreude possibly sprinkled in). But they would seem to provide some relief from our own complex lives, offering distraction in literary fantasies.

One final caveat: Don’t misunderstand the “lived experience” suggested here and think you are getting insight into “real” Maine when reading Vacationland As a kind of guide to the area, it may be most useful with its scattered mentions, recommendations of (real) restaurants, bars, shops, and bakeries the characters patronize, from Owls Head to Camden. Cheers to the author for promoting local businesses. She represented in those, as one might wish she had done more of with her array of characters, an actually diverse range of Midcoast styles, settings, and financial brackets.

Tina Cohen is a therapist who spends part of the year on Vinalhaven.

or the thousand-yard stare of boatbuilder Gus Skoog, among dozens of others.

Crossman’s finely wrought narratives add multiple layers to many of Greenberg’s portraits. As every islander knows, there are also darker sides to island life, and here Crossman treads lightly. With the portrait of one island rebel, he writes, “From her first toke, she was page-one material, blazing a path of outrage, as she became a mighty warrior in the timeless battle of youth against convention.”

Crossman’s narratives are the perfect companion to Greenberg’s misty mystical images. You may be stunned, as I was, by the pairing of Greenberg’s shimmering sunset on the waters of the Basin with Crossman’s rendering a little girl’s story of her fully realized life among mermaids who are waiting for her, “in the shallows... where the light has been left on for me.”

These are a but a few of the treasures that every Maine islander and visitor will appreciate.

An island anthropologist and mutual friend of Crossman’s and mine, George Putz, once observed that island journalism is an oxymoron: “If you don’t know the whole story, you will get it wrong, but if you know the whole story, you cannot tell it.”

Crossman’s writing here is a high wire act, which he conducts with the photographer along the taut wire of this oxymoron.

Philip Conkling is the founder of Island Institute and its former president. He now operates the consulting firm Philip Conkling & Associates.

STORM DAMAGE

continued from page 1

come to the co-op, at least for the time being. Tweedie said that he’d heard that the wharf “might open again, but it’s not assured.”

Steve Cartwright, a St. George selectman, said he’d heard from a fisherman that Linda Bean might “fix up” the wharf as a private dock, but that the select board had no official reaction to the wharf’s closing.

“The entire board feels very strongly about preserving working waterfront,” he said.

Efforts to reach Bean Maine Lobster Inc. were unsuccessful.

What the closure of the wharf means for Tenants Harbor is unclear. Through a separate but related entity, Linda Bean operates the Tenants Harbor General Store in town, but as of early June no one in the assessor’s office or in the store itself had heard any rumors about its future.

On its website in early June, the store was advertising several jobs including

cashier, deli, and seasonal stock worker positions and offering “a very competitive pay.”

There are no obvious signs that the Tenants Harbor wharf situation is having any impact on any other Beanbranded companies.

The employee-owned Bean Maine Lobster Inc. continues to buy and ship live lobsters, primarily in the wholesale market, from its Rockland plant.

Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster, Inc., an all-woman owned business, is based in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The venture sells live

lobster and lobster products sourced from Bean Maine Lobster, as well as other Maine food items, at both a physical location in Myrtle Beach and via the internet.

Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine owns and operates a network of lobster-focused restaurants in Port Clyde, Freeport, Ogunquit, and at the Portland International Jetport. It also operates the high-end general store on the main street of Tenants Harbor and another, next to the Monhegan Island ferry dock in Port Clyde, which will open soon, according to its website.

Lobster catch size explained

Are you confused about the recent news from the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission vote that would institute changes in the rules that determine the size of a legally caught lobster? Yeah, we were, too. This chart does a better job explaining if, when, and how the sizes would change than a news story would, so we’re sharing it here.

Fresh seafood, fish, crab & lobster meat, smoked mussels, live crabs & lobster. Available year-round!

Farm-fresh beef & chicken, Maine-made cheese, dips, eggs, and many other items!

Open Mon. 10-4, Tue. – Thurs. 10-3, Fri. 10-4, Sat. 10-5 We

A love letter to Vinalhaven

Savor the beauty and charm of Vinalhaven with this new coffee table book featuring images by professional photographer Joel Greenberg and narratives by well-known Maine author Phil Crossman.

“A treasure for all time.”

Vinalhaven: Portrait of a Maine Island is available in local shops. Order online and find out more at vinalhavenbook.com

“The book is beautiful, emotionally evocative, and it does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of Vinalhaven.”

LOBSTER HULLS

continued from page 1

replace boats with the traditional hull form in the lobster fishery? Multihull workboats are common around New Zealand and Australia. There are signs— faint signs—that things could eventually change in Maine waters.

In Belfast, Front Street Shipyard is one of the largest and most innovative boatyards in the Northeast. In addition to servicing both commercial boats and luxurious yachts, the company also builds custom and production boats incorporating cutting edge designs and technologies.

Recently, Front Street announced it was partnering with Newport, R.I. yacht designer and builder David McCollough on the development of an outboardpowered pleasure boat that combines traditional New England styling with a state-of-the-art catamaran hull incorporating lifting hydrofoil technology. According to McCollough, the foil will be adjustable for performance and fully retractable.

Early drawings show a boat with the look of lobster yachts from builders such as Hinckley or Lyman Morse above the waterline and an estimated $2.7 million price tag. The rationale for the design— dubbed the Hope 40 and still in its early stages—is to build a boat offering “less fuel burn and greater comfort,” McCollough said.

Lower fuel consumption and more comfort are attributes that should be appealing to anyone who, year in and year out, spends 2,000 hours or more on a lobster boat with a big diesel engine gulping fuel that currently costs upwards of $4.30 per gallon and beating up his or her body shifting heavy lobster traps in often rough seas. Unsurprisingly, someone has been working on those problems for more than a decade, but progress has been slow.

“It started out as a simple question,” Tom Duym, fisheries education specialist at the Stonington-based Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries and a former commercial fisherman, said recently.

“Is there a feasible way to develop a better, greener lobster boat? After all, a lobster boat that would reduce fossil fuel use would help the environment and save a lobsterman money.”

In 2010, MCCF formed a partnership with Douglas Read, an engineering professor at Maine Maritime Academy. The aim was to produce a design that would reduce fuel consumption by 20%-25%, reduce pollution, and provide a more comfortable working environment that still offered the large deck space and trap capacity needed for modern fishing practices.

With “a tremendous amount of input from fishermen,” Duym said, Read developed “a revolutionary green lobster boat design featuring a newly-patented trimaran hull form” and an above the water profile that looks just like a conventional lobster boat.

A few years ago, a one-fifth scale model of the hull underwent tank testing, and its performance was compared with that of a popular 38-foot lobster boat design.

More recently, the Landing School in Arundel built a 22-foot scale model of the hull that is currently stored at Maine Maritime Academy and slated for in-the-water testing soon, powered by a small diesel engine that is equivalent, at scale, “to a pretty decent size motor,” reports Pat Shepherd, MCCF’s collaborative research specialist.

While the design is still subject to refinement to meet lobstermen’s concerns about how the boat would handle in following seas, Read has estimated

that a full-size boat—say around 45 feet long and appropriate width—would use 20 percent less fuel than a conventional monohull. The savings would come because the trimaran could use a smaller diesel engine—perhaps 500 horsepower—and achieve the same performance as conventional boats using 1,000 horsepower and even larger diesel engines. Another significant savings would result from the lower initial cost of purchasing a smaller engine for a new boat.

Besides generating lower costs, Duym sees the trimaran as offering fishermen an opportunity for to rethink the way they handle their lobster gear and reduce the strain fishing imposes on their bodies. He and Shepherd both say the physical toll of fishing is a significant reason why so many fishermen self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.

Whatever its advantages may be, the trimaran lobster boat is still a long way from joining the fleet in Stonington or anywhere else.

“I think the biggest hurdle here and a lot of places on the coast of Maine is that we’re so stuck in what we’ve done for a thousand years, because it’s how we’ve done it,” Shepherd said. “I think it has a lot to do with a cultural shift,” among the fishing community, “and to make that cultural shift, you have to prove that it works, because it’s all about trust.”

Douglas Read poses at Maine Maritime Academy with a multihull prototype. PHOTO: COURTESY DOUGLAS READ

Front Street Shipyard's multihull boat, still in the process of being designed. IMAGE: COURTESY FRONT STREET SHIPYARD

Tom Duym of Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.

Maine should welcome immigrants… again

Workforce, and business start-ups are benefits

BY TOM GROENING

FEW COUNTRIES were unscathed by the Great Recession, whose symptoms first appeared in the fall of 2008 and which metastasized six months later as U.S. unemployment rates nearly hit 10%. Scary times, and certainly unprecedented in most of our lifetimes.

One country that was hit especially hard was Iceland. The country’s three largest commercial banks defaulted, the currency dropped by 35% against the euro, and unemployment hit 10%.

Just before those unsettling days, I joined the Bangor Daily News editorial desk, and when the Iceland news was dominating headlines, I wrote an editorial I knew would be provocative but also believed was factually and logically sound.

My argument was that Maine, which had flat population growth and the oldest-in-the-nation median age (which has now increased to 45.5), might consider offering expedited and supported immigration to those looking to relocate from Iceland. The nation has a strong fishing economy, like Maine, and a large tourism sector, also like our state. And of course it has a cold climate like ours.

And a fun, very random fact: Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” was inspired by the band’s stop in Iceland.

Well, readers didn’t find my views sound. In those years, online readers could post almost anything they wanted in the comments section of the website. And comment they did, suggesting what I had offered was a new low for the newspaper.

The editorial generated a few dozen uniformly critical comments for two or three days, then finally, a reader with an academic background (possibly a university professor) weighed in, noting that Maine’s economic growth has centuries-old ties to immigration.

French-Canadians traveled, often on foot, from Quebec to work in mills in Biddeford, Saco, Lewiston, Brunswick, and other communities. Italian stonecutters came to Frankfort in Waldo County to work the quarries. Town names throughout the state—New Sweden, Norway, and Denmark—suggest new residents honoring their home countries.

I felt a little vindicated. But immigration remains a charged issue, and is usually more so when times are hard.

There’s an odd disconnect between Republican elected officials whose

reflections

demands for impervious borders win voter support, yet whose donors quietly tell them that immigrant labor is essential to their businesses.

The term “illegal immigrant” conveys a somewhat inaccurate concept; most of those crossing into the U.S. are seeking asylum, which is allowed under law. But establishing that yes, a family fled because their teen daughter was being targeted as a sex slave by a drug gang in Central America may not be easily documented.

Still, quotas and standards are reasonable and responsible, and officials can’t ignore thousands sneaking across the border.

President Reagan brokered and signed a law that granted amnesty to 2.7 million immigrants in 1986, and there was no worker shortage. Today, businesses are having to forego revenue opportunities because they lack the staff to do the work.

What if states had more flexibility in dealing with federal immigration policy?

In Maine, some important economic sectors are already leaning heavily on immigrants—New Mainers, as they have been dubbed—such as seafood

The spider web that is town government

Each

municipal initiative connects to another

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront.

BY MIA COLLEREDO MANSFELD

IN A TOWN the size of North Haven, all projects, tasks, functions, and dilemmas are interconnected.

A select board meeting reflects the challenges in maintaining the town’s day-to-day operations while simultaneously ensuring future sustainability. An update on sewer department upgrades can evolve into the need for added capacity and the island’s housing shortage. A discussion of transfer station fees readily morphs into a conversation about island transportation.

When asked to summarize my fellowship, I usually reply with something like, “I spent the first six months working on a community vision. Since then, I have been working to address our community priorities: access to housing, economic diversification, and climate change impacts—all easy to solve in my remaining time here…” But, thinking through what this entails on a daily basis gets a little more complicated.

The short answer is I engage in community outreach, generally through a bi-weekly email from the town outlining what we have been up to—which grants we applied for, our working group progress, and, importantly, how seemingly unrelated town projects are connected to our priorities.

On top of that, I coordinate these working groups addressing our priorities, research other islands, attend Community Coffee to gather feedback and answer questions, and assess our communication’s impact. My role boils down to helping the town take on longterm, forward-looking projects that build on strong community engagement.

I work from a surprisingly bright desk in the back of the Mary C. Waterman Conference Room in the town office. Most of the office’s daily action—car and boat registrations, permit inquiries, billing and tax questions—takes place in the front room, allowing me to focus on tackling our community priorities. Or so one would think.

Recently, I was interrupted by loud squealing and looked up to watch someone unload two pigs into the neighbor’s pig pen. Yesterday, a community member on several town boards popped in to glue a chair back together, deciding it would be faster to

fix it herself than to wait for the town. This morning, I found the room occupied by a local film crew interviewing our town administrator about the intersections of housing and policy.

All these goings-on could be deemed distractions, but I view them as an accurate representation of trying to address our community priorities.

A morning spent meeting with the Housing Working Group, for example, will generate plenty of ideas and some concrete goals. After the meeting, I follow-up on suggestions from our discussions. This will lead me to check in with our planning board about the proposed land use ordinances and to see if our assessing agent needs help publicizing related upcoming hearings.

A question posed about water resources regarding the proposed new lot sizes will have me digging through our recent hydrogeologic survey. Eventually, this will lead me back to the town’s properties and potential reuse of our fire station for housing. (Which will likely lead me to update the page on our website about construction progress on the new public safety building.)

While this reads like the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, each sidetrack adds an invaluable layer of understanding, complexity, and consideration

processing, lodging, restaurants, and other service businesses.

New Mainers must be seen as a vital resource for a bright future. They are younger than that oldest-in-thenation median age, and so they will be in the workforce longer. Being in the workforce means they keep our businesses humming and they pay more taxes than retirees. They start families, which means they keep our schools having enough numbers to function.

And they start businesses at a much higher rate than native-born folks.

Many of those who serve us lobster rolls or clean our hotel rooms at coastal towns like Boothbay Harbor and Bar Harbor, working on temporary visas, send as much of their income they can home to family. Wouldn’t it be better if they kept that money here?

Tom Groening is editor of The Working Waterfront. He may be contacted at tgroening@islandinstitute.org.

to the community’s priorities. If we do not understand our water resources, creating additional buildable lots may not be a sustainable housing solution.

In the midst of the rabbit holes I find myself in, it can feel like there is no tangible progress. Stepping back, it becomes clear that we, as a community, have taken action. When I arrived, there was a lot of energy, and that energy has been focused by our community vision and harnessed to address our community priorities. The biggest job I have as an Island Fellow, it turns out, is filling in the gaps—connecting and engaging with the community to build on our momentum and push these projects forward.

Mia Colloredo-Mansfeld works with the town of North Haven and the North Haven Collective, facilitating conversations, collecting data, developing webpages and communications, and increasing information available to residents and visitors. Before her move to North Haven, Mia grew up in Iowa and North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in geography and environmental studies.

NORTH BY EAST—

Ocean acidification threatens blue economy

House bill would begin study of impacts

BY CHELLIE PINGREE

IN A STATE renowned for its lobster and shellfish, Mainers understand the importance of a healthy ocean. But you don’t have to spend your mornings on a fishing boat hauling in the day’s catch or even live near the coast to be affected by our changing and warming seas.

Ocean acidification is a growing and far-reaching threat to not only our fisheries, but the entire blue economy.

What exactly does “ocean acidification” mean? Well, ocean acidification refers to a gradual increase in the acidity of ocean water, caused mainly by human-emitted carbon dioxide (CO2) mixing with the ocean.

I will let the experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explain the science of it all: “Water and carbon dioxide combine to form carbonic acid (H2CO3), a weak acid that breaks into hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-).” With more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, there is more carbon dioxide dissolving into the ocean, increasing its acidity.

About 30% of the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean, making it challenging for marine organisms—particularly

Island Institute Board of Trustees

Kr istin Howard, Chair

Douglas Henderson, Vice Chair

Charles Owen Verrill, Jr. Secretary

Kate Vogt, Treasurer, Finance Chair

Carol White, Programs Chair

Megan McGi nnis Dayton, Philanthropy & Communications Chair

Shey Conover, Governance Chair

Michael P. Boyd, Clerk

Sebastian Belle

David Cousens

Michael Felton

Nathan Johnson

Emily Lane

Bryan Lewis

Michael Sant

Barbara Kinney Sweet

Donna Wiegle

John Bird (honorary)

those with calcium carbonate shells, such as clams, lobsters, and oysters— to grow, directly impacting Maine’s iconic industries.

Like the climate crisis, ocean acidification is unquestionably caused by human activity. The water in our oceans has gradually gotten more and more acidic since we began burning large amounts of coal during the Industrial Revolution.

In fact, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), atmospheric CO2 concentrations are now higher than at any time in the last two million years. The IPCC warns we could experience acidity increases up to 150% by the end of the century.

As far back as 2017, Bill Mook, an oyster farmer who founded Mook Sea Farms in Walpole, told me ocean acidification quietly crept into their awareness and “is now a real part of our daily hatchery operations.”

“In order for us to make informed business decisions about our future, it is crucial for more resources to be directed at understanding this issue: what the thresholds are for shellfish production; when they will be reached; and how their negative consequences might be avoided,” Bill said.

A 2020 report found in the U.S.,

particularly in the waters off Maine and Massachusetts, ocean acidification hot spots may cause economic losses of $400 million a year by 2100; global losses are estimated to be from $6 billion to $100 billion a year.

When dealing with major, complex, and existential issues like climate change and its impacts like ocean acidification, we must listen to—and support—the science. That is the basis of my bipartisan Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act, which passed in the House in May with overwhelming bipartisan support.

From Maine to Alaska, coastal communities nationwide are already grappling with the consequences of the climate crisis. Some have implemented ocean monitoring and data collection to better understand their vulnerability and are exploring the best ways to respond and improve their resilience. My bipartisan bill will strengthen and build on these efforts.

Specifically, my legislation will improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) collaboration with state, local, and tribal governments to bolster community vulnerability assessments, research planning, and similar activities related to ocean and coastal acidification. It

THE WORKING WATERFRONT

All members of the Island Institute and residents of Maine island communities receive monthly mail delivery of The Working Waterfront.

For home delivery: Join the Island Institute by calling our office at (207) 594-9209 E-mail us: membership@islandinstitute.org • Visit us online: giving.islandinstitute.org

will also require NOAA to maintain the Ocean Acidification Information Exchange, which will improve nationwide data sharing on ocean acidification research, data, and monitoring efforts between federal experts, community acidification networks, and other affected stakeholders.

I’m incredibly proud that my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, voted to protect our oceans and support communities affected by ocean acidification through passing my bill. We need to better understand the vulnerabilities of the coastal communities, particularly those that are underserved and rural, which are already facing the impacts of coastal and ocean acidification and better equip them with the resources to respond. Doing so will help ensure our communities and ocean industries, including fisheries, are better able to adapt to changing oceans and continue to protect and sustain our ocean resources.

I’m hopeful the Senate will act soon so we can get this important piece of legislation to President Biden’s desk very soon.

Editor: Tom Groening tgroening@islandinstitute.org

Our advertisers reach 50,000+ readers who care about the coast of Maine. Free distribution from Kittery to Lubec and mailed directly to islanders and members of the Island Institute, and distributed monthly to Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News subscribers.

To Advertise Contact: Dave Jackson djackson@islandinstitute.org 542-5801

www.WorkingWaterfront.com

Chellie Pingree is a member of Congress representing Maine’s 1st District. She lives on North Haven.

Vinalhaven native named ferry chief

Geary began as service director in May

WILLIAM GEARY JR. has been named director of the Maine State Ferry Service.

Born on Vinalhaven, Geary is a 1998 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, where he earned an unlimited 3rd mate’s license. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for six years and was involved in the Kosovo campaign.

Geary has nearly two decades of experience managing retail operations for a Fortune 200 company. In these roles, he oversaw hundreds of employees spread out across several New England states and was focused on customer service.

He earned his MBA from the University of Maine at Orono in 2004.

“I am confident our Maine State Ferry Service customers will be in good hands with Bill Geary,” said DOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note. “His island heritage and maritime education will serve Maine’s island communities well. Additionally, Bill’s experience in customer service, business management, and human resources set him apart during our search process.”

Geary said he welcomed the opportunity to get “back to my roots in

Land trusts can now protect working waterfronts

A BILL sponsored by Rep. Morgan Rielly of Westbrook (LD 574: An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Working Waterfront Covenants) has been signed into law, greatly expanding opportunities for protecting Maine’s remaining working waterfronts.

“Maine’s fishing industry accounts for nearly $1 billion in annual revenues, and it’s an industry under pressure from many sides,” said Rielly.

“Saving Maine’s working waterfront properties from conversion to noncommercial uses is one way to protect our fishing heritage. This new law will allow Maine’s coastal land trusts the opportunity to conserve these properties, and land trusts have the resources and skills to help us accomplish this important goal.”

Since 2008, 34 properties have been preserved through this important program. Now, land trusts can provide a vehicle for private sector partners to work together to mobilize additional funding sources and act more nimbly to save working waterfront properties.

“Maine’s iconic working waterfronts are the backbone of our coastal economy, and Maine’s land trusts are proven experts in property conservation,” said Nick Battista, chief policy officer at Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. “This important legislation holds great promise for keeping Maine’s coastline working and thriving for generations to come.”

both the islands and the maritime industry. I look forward to being a great steward to the islands and ensuring strong customer service for all who ride our vessels.”

He currently lives in Gray with his two children, Nate and Kate. He began work on May 22.

The primary mechanism for preserving the working waterfront in perpetuity is the Working Waterfront Access Protection Program funded by Land for Maine’s Future in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. This is a competitive program through which the state buys the development rights on a piece of working waterfront from the owner to ensure future development will not limit commercial marine use.

Expanding eligibility for this type of conservation to land trusts is particularly important in urgent, emergency sale situations where multiple parties must move quickly to put together the funding and structure and close the deal. Landowners may also prefer their local land trusts to hold the development rights for their property rather than a state agency.

“As a coastal land trust, we see firsthand the development pressure threatening working waterfront,” said Julia McLeod, executive director at Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. “This bill gives us a new avenue to support our town and address real community needs.”

We also have wonderful unique gifts, from finely crafted Japanese teacups, award-winning Folkmanis puppets, and our iconic coffee mugs and sweatshirts—this year’s line being in Pantone’s 2022 color of the year, Peri.

William Geary Jr.

Acadia breaks ground on new facility

Federal funds support maintenance building

DEPUTY SECRETARY of the Interior

Tommy Beaudreau visited Acadia National Park in April to join federal and local leaders at the groundbreaking of a new year-round maintenance facility at park headquarters, made possible with a new $32.6 million investment from the Great American Outdoors Act.

Beaudreau, Sen. Angus King, Member of Congress Chellie Pingree, and other community leaders celebrated the new building that will allow for more efficient park maintenance operations and improve universal access.

“This moment is nearly 20 years in the making, and it’s hard to believe it’s finally here,” said Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “We are all eager to see this facility come to life over the next two years. It will allow us to be better stewards of Acadia’s diverse built environment: ranging from our historic carriage roads to our visitor centers, and everything in between.”

The 32,000 square-foot maintenance facility will equip the park with workshops, equipment storage, meeting rooms, and offices. The project will also demolish more than 20,000 square feet of unsafe park structures

and eliminate $4.4 million of deferred maintenance and repairs.

The new maintenance facility is critical to supporting the mission of Acadia National Park and will make it possible for the park to provide frontline services to visitors and protect park resources over the next 60 years.

This federal investment will contribute more than 425 jobs and $92 million to the nation’s economy. Local contractor Nickerson & O’Day, Inc. of Brewer is expected to finish construction by fall of 2024.

Infrastructure funding from the Great American Outdoors Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are part of a concerted effort to address the extensive deferred maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, GAOA’s Legacy Restoration Fund provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.

Built in 1828 for Capt. John Berry as his home port, Berry Hill Farm sits on a lovely, elevated site of 10 acres of fenced pastureland. With 4-bedroom suites with private baths, the house was completely restored between 2000 and 2002, meticulously and tastefully. First floor, a custom kitchen with separate pantry, breakfast nook overlooking the pasture facing west for beautiful sunsets across the fields, lovely living room, dining room, 1 bedroom suite on the first floor and 3 on the second floor. The updated systems include a heating system with 7 zones with radiators in each room, completely rewired for cable and wi-fi on the first floor and second floors in each of the suites. Large barn with a hayloft with new joists and floor, large workshop area open to the peak, and lots of storage rooms. Septic system consists of a leach field sized for 6 bedrooms. There is a conservation view easement on this property to protect the fields and these 10 acres abut 20 acres in conservation to access a salt-water cove. A treasured property inside and out with beautiful surroundings. $650,000.

Sen. Angus King converses with Friends of Acadia staff at the groundbreaking event for Acadia National Park’s new maintenance facility.

Environmental Specialist Jason Flynn walks audience members through key features of what will be Acadia National Park’s new maintenance facility.

Capanewagen awakens

Southport, a quiet corner of Boothbay peninsula

PHOTO ESSAY BY MICHELE STAPLETON

The Lincoln County island town of Southport, called Capanewagen by the native Abenaki people, a name later misunderstood by English settlers as Cape Newagen, may be overshadowed by its busy neighbor, Boothbay Harbor.

But those who have taken the time to explore the region know its quiet beauty. Like other parts of the peninsula, tourism is part of the economy, as are fishing and recreational boating.

Our Island Communities

Monhegan Museum explores artistic relationships

Married couples’ work featured in summer show

REVIEW BY CARL LITTLE

Four couples, eight painters, one island: that’s the essence of the Monhegan Museum of Art and History’s 2023 show “Counterpoint.”

In a period stretching from around 1950 to the early 2000s, each of the featured married pairs—Geraldine and Reuben Tam, Jan and William McCartin, Arline Simon and Marvin “Moe” Oberman, and Lynne Drexler and John Hultberg—traveled from New York to Monhegan to pursue their artistic practice.

The show’s title, as museum director Jennifer Pye and independent curator Susan Danley explain in the exhibition catalogue, refers to the “stylistic juxtapositions” found in the work of these creative couples. While aesthetic overlap occurs here and there between the work of wife and husband, each artist followed her/his individual vision.

No better example is there of this counterpoint than the Tams.

The Toronto-born Geraldine, daughter of Chinese émigrés, took up botanical illustration during her visits to Monhegan, producing exquisite watercolor studies of various plants. In the tradition of Kate Furbish and other earlier botanist artists she brought precision to her renderings. (Her family recently donated more than 200 botanical paintings and 500 sketches to the Monhegan Museum.)

By contrast, Reuben Tam, originally from the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, produced bold expressionist canvases inspired by the wild and rugged Maine terrain. In Alan Gussow’s groundbreaking book A Sense of Place: The Artist and the American Land, which turned 50 last year, Tam listed some of his favorite places “where the forces of nature are in active operation,” among them Monhegan: “the drowned coast, the region of fog, grandeur and intimacy, the edge of land, and the sea.”

That’s the landscape that has proven irresistible to so many artists, including those in “Counterpoint.”

When Arline Simon, lifelong resident of Yonkers, N.Y., painted Smutty Nose, she offered three stacked views

of the islet at the mouth of Monhegan’s harbor, each with a distinct color scheme. Her husband, Bronxborn Marvin Oberman’s “Sunset August 20th, Fanfare for Whitecaps” offers an equally energized island view.

As was the case with several of the other couples in the show, Simon and Oberman met through art: they both attended Cooper Union in New York City. Over the years they collaborated on a regular basis. One of the highlights of “Counterpoint” is their designs for island enterprises and events, including the Monhegan Brewing Company’s Crow’s Nest IPA and the 1996 Chowderfest.

Jan and William McCartin also riffed on Monhegan motifs.

Jan, daughter of Canadian immigrants, sometimes included figures in her landscapes, as in the oil pastel “Bill in a Landscape (Monhegan).” William, whose parents came from Ireland, turned to an abstractgeometric vocabulary to conjure the island’s character. His “Interstice III” might be a response to a patch of light in Cathedral Woods.

Last but certainly not least, Lynne Drexler and John Hultberg carried on a tumultuous relationship while creating art that drew on the energy of the Abstract Expressionists with whom they rubbed elbows. The Californian Hultberg was a long-time fixture of the New York art scene, praised for his semi-surreal landscapes, some of them based on Monhegan views.

Originally from Newport News, Va., Drexler walked the line between representation and abstraction. Her painting “Tree of Age” reflects that blend of the real and the imagined. In recent years Drexler’s art market “stock” has soared, with a few of her pieces fetching a million-plus at auction.

In a wonderfully appreciative essay in the show’s catalogue, Emily Grey, the museum’s curator of exhibitions, offers the stories of the four artist-couples, of their lives on Monhegan and elsewhere, how they interacted and made the island a major part of their creative lives.

“When you live here,” Grey quotes Drexler, “you learn to see who you really are. You are very close to nature and nature clarifies you to yourself.”

All eight artists in this must-see show shared these sentiments. Monhegan was their muse and much more.

Carl Little curated “Avian Artistry: Treasures from Maine Collections” at the Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor (through August 17).

“Red Tide at Sunset,” (1975) by Reuben Tam (1916-1991), oil on canvas, 22" x 24"; Monhegan Museum of Art & History, gift of Susan Bateson and Stephen S. Fuller.

“Sunset August 20th, Fanfare for Whitecaps,”

Marvin Oberman (1927-2018), acrylic on paper, 11" x 14½"; collection of Emily Oberman.

“New England Aster, Asternovae-angliae,” by Geraldine Tam (1920-2006), ink and watercolor on paper, 11" x 8"; Monhegan Museum of Art & History, gift of Cindy King.

If you win, I lose?

To the editor:

I’m glad you wrote “Pondering the Poverty Question” (Rock Bound, June issue). I agree with everything you said, and hope to read  Poverty by America. I think it’s important to point out the costs to everyone, not just the poor, of our current system.

I recently read a book that expands on this point:  The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. While it focuses on the costs of racism for everyone, its points can be expanded to apply to any division that pits one group against another. It’s got lots of insights, good solid facts, and a unifying, practical, and realistic approach to improving life for everyone.

McGhee uses data, history, her own experiences, and stories about people she’s met to lay out the costs of racism to all of us, of all races, in the past and now.

“Zero sum thinking,” in which “if you win, I lose,” she says, is used to divide us and weaken the ability of the majority to enact policies and programs that will benefit everyone—universal health care coverage, paid sick leave, safe neighborhoods, good schools, and clean environments.

She contrasts the experiences of workers who failed at organizing for better conditions because they were divided by race with the experience of those workers who succeeded in getting better conditions by joining in a multiracial coalition. Our diversity can be our “super power,” McGhee writes, and gives examples of how decisions on such matters as injuries and work places are better when different kinds of people are included and heard. Her last chapter, “The Solidarity Dividend,” features Lewiston and the benefits

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

there of welcoming immigrants. I came away from this book feeling better informed and more optimistic about what we can all accomplish together to make life better for us all.

Susan Payne Cape Elizabeth

Clean up the mess

To the editor:

Reading Phil Crossman’s column on meeting that Roberts fellow (Observer, “A supreme encounter on Vinalhaven,” June issue) brought to mind a similar encounter I experienced on Port Clyde’s Hupper Island, where Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has a home.

While shucking oysters at an island party, I chatted with this friendly guy while his wife and kids played alongshore, oblivious of what he did for work. Eventually I figured it out. Maybe he enjoyed being treated as just another island summer person. I handed him some oysters on the half shell.

I must add that this pleasant memory is overshadowed by blatantly unjust court rulings, from pro-corporate “Citizens United” to retracting voting rights to overturning the established law of Roe v. Wade. On top of that, Roberts refuses to acknowledge ethics violations on his court,  and refuses to talk to Congress unless it suits him.

If Justice Roberts wonders why his court has lost credibility with the public, he should review the court’s decisions and the disgraceful conduct of certain justices. Clean up the mess, your honor.

Steve Cartwright Tenants Harbor

Frugal and green

To the editor: Interesting article on the problem of recycling boat shrink wrap (May issue, “The not-so-small problem of shrink wrap,” reported by the Maine Monitor).

As a boat owner of many years I know all too well about the twice-seasonal process involved with installing and removing this wonderful product. It’s very expensive at the outset, as any boater will attest!

Many people probably don’t realize that if removed carefully it can be reused. I am on year six with my wrap. I also have friends who do the same. It is not difficult to reinstall and then using heat to retighten, continue its use.

How Maine is that! Frugal and green. Any rips are easily repaired with appropriate tape.

I do enjoy your paper.

Tom Haley Falmouth

Lobster gear help

To the editor: I read with great interest the story in the April issue of The Working Waterfront about the testing in Massachusetts of on-demand gear as a way of minimizing or eliminating vertical ropes used in the lobster fishery. While there is, obviously, much to be learned about the new gear, I was disturbed by the simple dismissal of the technology by the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries and the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association.

I understand that it might be expensive to implement, but I believe there’s a way. Last summer, I asked quite a few pleasure boaters (I am one) if they

have ever been hung up on buoy lines. Without exception, they each said “every year.”

Having a line wrapped around your prop or hung up on the rudder is more than embarrassing. It can be expensive to remove (divers around here get a couple of hundred dollars just to go into the water) and dangerous as well.

When I then posed the question, “Would you pay an extra ten or 15 cents a gallon if the money was earmarked to purchase on-demand gear for the lobster fishery, they all said yes (some said make it 25 cents). My point is just that a potential economic impact should not be enough to scuttle the trials of the gear. If it works, ways can be found to pay for it.

Mike Hays Bass Harbor

Coffee connection

To the editor:

Regarding the story in the June issue about the Berwind (“The tragic end of MDI’s Capt. Rumill”) and the role that bad coffee played in the mutiny, one recalls the name of a character in the novel Moby Dick, Mr. Starbuck, who was one of Capt. Ahab’s first mates on the Pequod.

Though he is described as a Quaker in the novel, his last name refers to a Middle Eastern deity of many centuries ago and of course is the name of a coffee shop franchise we’re familiar with today.

Thanks for the great story.

Nanny Schultz Phippsburg

The Working Waterfront welcomes letters to the editor. Please send them to editor Tom Groening at tgroening@islandinstitute.org with LTE in the subject line. Letters should be about 300 words and address issues that the newspaper covers. We also print longer opinion pieces, but please clear them first with the editor.

Stonington's 'Discovery Wharf' open for season

Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries expands offerings

IN THE

HEART

of Stonington, Maine’s highest lobster landings port, fisheries come alive at 13 Atlantic Avenue, home of the Discovery Wharf, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’ vibrant interpretive center for visitors of all ages.

The MCCF Discovery Wharf provides interactive experiences ranging from hands-on learning about sea creatures in our touch tank, to the first-hand stories about life on the sea with the star of MCCF’s online video series, “Ask Leroy!” Capt. Leroy Weed, to the virtual reality experiences of being on a lobster boat, riding in a Life Flight helicopter, touring an oyster farm, ice fishing, or being in a river filled with migrating alewives.

MCCF strives to ensure that every visitor learns something new about

Maine’s coastal fisheries, the natural environment supporting the fisheries, and MCCF’s work to sustain these important resources and support our coastal communities.

“We are looking forward to meeting visitors at our location on Stonington Harbor so we can continue to showcase our fishing industries and the seafood economy of eastern Maine,” said Alexa Dayton, MCCF’s executive director. “Staff have worked hard to get the space in great shape.”

Discovery Wharf will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parties of up to 20 can make reservations online at www. coastalfisheries.org.

And new this season is a 14-footlong species map wall transformed into an interactive touch wall with the new “Wicked Weathah” exhibit.

This climate change immersive video experience focuses on educating visitors about climate change and the ecosystem relationships between the ocean, land, and data.

MCCF’s Pat Shepard envisioned this exhibit and worked with PERCH Design Studio to bring it to life. Using a touch-screen table, visitors will select a location such as downtown Stonington or the Deer Isle Causeway and apply an environmental condition such as a 50- or 100-year storm surge or sea level rise. The floor-to-ceiling display provides an impactful augmented reality experience.

MCCF hopes that visitors will leave this exhibit with a sense of urgency for action and a deeper understanding about the effects of climate change on coastal infrastructure. MCCF appreciates the funding support from

The Dorr Foundation and a Maine Community Foundation Community Building grant.

In addition, an expanded area of the organization’s facility is now dedicated to maritime exhibits including lobster and scallop gear, fish trawls, survival suits, life rafts, as well as wharf side interpretative displays, which depict information about the granite industry, Crotch Island, the town of Stonington, and the Stonington Fish Pier.

As a popular site on the Downeast Fisheries Trail, visitors become immersed in all things fishing as they navigate through the wharf-side space. School and camp groups should contact the MCCF office at 207-367-2708. Please note that the Discovery Wharf’s entrance is now located on the waterside of the building.

Hybrid ferry is a ‘half attempt’

Electric ships have already passed the test

BY PETER WILLCOX

Town meeting, painting lines, eating doughnuts, and throwing rocks

As winter winds down, islanders mix prep work and gatherings

on the same route. The Ampere carries 120 cars and 360 passengers.

operating its two-mile route since about 2016.

By Barbara Fernald

I WAS GREATLY disappointed to read that the new ferry being built for Islesboro has gone from an all-electric boat to a hybrid. With global warming affecting the Gulf of Maine faster than most other bodies of water in the world, I believe we need to make our best effort in new technologies, not a half attempt.

ACTIVITY on the islands, at the end of February and into March, is like a mirror image of the action at the end of August into September. Just as the summer residents of the Cranberry Isles end their vacations right before fall, many year-round residents end their winter breaks just before the spring equinox.

It’s time to get back to work and reconnect.

Our annual town meeting takes place on the second Saturday in March. For selectmen and town employees, winter has been anything but a vacation. They have been working steadily, gathering information to write the warrant for town meeting. It’s the time of year we come together as a town to decide on projects and spending and how much money is to be raised by property taxes.

Switching a vessel to a hybrid as a rule only saves 10% of the fuel. There is a ferry in Norway named  Ampere (formerly  Zero Cat), which has the same length run as the Islesboro ferry (3.5 nautical miles) which has been operating for 13 years.  It is reported that she avoids the use of quarter of a million gallons of diesel annually and offsets 570 tons of carbon dioxide and 15 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions compared to a conventional ferry

Discussion of the school budget alone can take well over an hour. The islands take turns hosting the meeting and the luncheon. This year, town

The more carbon we put in the atmosphere, the more the atmosphere warms up, and the more acidic the oceans become. The oceans absorb roughly half the CO2 we pump into the atmosphere.

meeting will take place on Islesford. What’s for lunch? Homemade pizzas, salads, and desserts. Life gets busier as we volunteer to help prepare the first community meal of the season.

Town meeting is a great opportunity to hear about winter from friends and neighbors. “How was your trip to ...?” “Who knew grand-parenting was so exhausting or that there were so many cold germs involved?” “You did all that painting?” These same questions could be asked in September at a school board meeting in a large suburb. (Preferably not during the meeting while someone else has the floor!)

The more CO2 we pump, the more it turns to carbonic acid in the oceans. Lobster (not to mention scallops, mussels, and other crustaceans) cannot form shells in water that is too acidic.

There are lots of other electric ferries. Denmark’s Ellen is 200-feet long and completes a 22-mile trip five times a day. She is totally electric. There are no generators on board.

The  Aurora and  Tycho Brahe are  two ferries that go between Denmark and Sweden that are 365 feet long. They, too, are totally electric. In Alabama, this country’s first electric ferry,  Gee’s Bend Ferry, has been

In January and February, Bruce and I got to spend a lot of time with our grandchildren in Southern Maine. Visiting them was the main goal of most of our winter travel. We considered trying to paint our kitchen, but we kept catching odd coughing viruses and experienced more down time than we wanted, so we never got to it. Maybe I’ll paint it in May, when I can have the windows open.

Bruce saw more than enough paint, anyway, this winter. During his “time off” he painted 600 buoys (white and

bright red with a black stripe) and, like every other lobster fisherman in Maine this winter, he read about, talked about, and experimented with purple paint.

Electric ferries cost more to build, but they cut emissions by 95% and operating costs by 80%.

The technique used by all these ferries to charge their batteries quickly without causing local brown outs (or worse) is to use a battery pack on shore. On the Islesboro to Linconlville run, the battery on shore would have 45 minutes to charge. The ferry would have battery capacity to run both ways if one charging system is out.

The latest whale regulations require all Maine lobster fishermen to use new markings on the ropes they attach to lobster traps. Depending on how close to shore they fish, they will have to add 2-4 purple marks on each buoy line. On warps that are 100-feet or less there must be one 12-inch purple mark within a few fathoms of the trap and a 36inch purple mark within 2 fathoms of the buoy. If the warp is longer that 100 feet, the requirement is for a 12-inch purple mark near the trap, a second 12inch purple mark halfway to the buoy, and a 36-inch mark near the buoy.

But what if there is a power failure, which has been known to happen both in Lincolnville and Iselesboro? There are already diesel generators at both ends to run the ramps in case of a power failure. These would probably need to be increased in size to provide enough power to get the ferry safely back to the other side. I estimate they would need to be between 150 kW and 200 kW.

18 knots on two engines. As fuel has gotten more expensive, ships have slowed down.

piece of purple rope to the end of the buoy line or toggle, but all attachments must be made with a splice or a tuck.

In my opinion, the 13 knots that the  Margaret Chase Smith cruises at is too fast. Cruising at ten knots would save a lot of fuel. That would throw the schedule off, but we would adjust.

All-electric ferries have been operating for 13 years in other countries and seven years in this country. We can always find excuses not to do something. But that is not how this country has evolved. And that attitude will drive away young people who will begin to get the message that we can’t do it here. This is what I saw in Argentina.

I know it’s a stretch to compare following Maine whale rope requirements with a plein air workshop, but a person could return home from either and say that they’d been painting in their spare time. If Bruce were writing an essay on how he spent his winter vacation, painting would be a part of it. Another part would be the description I heard him tell his brother Mark about walking to get doughnuts, in February, with our son Robin, and our grandchildren Henry and Cora. I was away with friends in Portland, and Stephanie was away with friends in Florida. Father and son were in charge.

But in this case, it is our children who will bear the brunt of our decision. For their sake, we need to make our best efforts.

“Yeah, we got doughnuts at The Cookie Jar and then walked to the beach for a picnic and to throw rocks.”

Most merchant ships today have reduced their cruising speed. The 950-foot U.S. Navy boat I was on went 23 knots with four engines and

Bruce figures he will be putting 1,500 to 1,800 markings on his rope in all; two to three weeks of extra work if he does it without hiring help. A number of fishermen are applying paint to their ropes by resting them in 3-foot long gutters made from lengthwise-halved PVC pipe. Bruce’s first attempt was with spray paint but he soon moved on to the more efficient brush and latex paint.

Some fishermen will add a 3-foot

Eating homemade donuts and throwing rocks at the beach—if that isn’t a mirror image of many childhood summers on Islesford, I don’t know what is. q

Peter Willcox has been a merchant sailor for 52 years, including 44 years working for environmental groups. He lives on Islesboro.

Barbara Fernald lives on Islesford (Little Cranberry Island) with her husband Bruce.

Acadia Fuel & Marine, LLC

Landing Craft for Charter Acadia Fuel

Fuel & Propane drivers needed. Must have Hazmat. Must apply in person.

Fully licensed and insured. *Specs: Deck space 47’x14’, 50 ton cap, hydra crane with 30’ reach, 10 knot cruising speed. Call to reserve 207-244-9664 or visit www.acadiafuel.com

Acadia Marine

Full service marine—commercial and industrial work.

Two barges available for charter!

saltwater cure

A taste of independence

Two wheels open a wider world for a child

BY COURTNEY NALIBOFF

NOT TO GIVE any credit to a global pandemic, but one positive result of spending months at home is that at the age of six, Pen learned to ride a bike. She started on one of those little pedal-less balance bikes, couldn’t go seamlessly to riding with no training wheels like we’d hoped, and then enjoyed short jaunts up and down the road with the training wheels on her pink single-speed.

With time on our hands to spare, the training wheels came off and most of the fall was spent chasing Pen around the yard as she wobbled and fell, then miraculously got her foot on a pedal and succumbed to centripetal force. Away she went.

I am not a bike rider, or a fan of any wheeled conveyance, so Bill was the one to ride with her. I sometimes trailed behind walking the dog, yelling instructions in an unnecessary and paranoid fashion.

From the one-mile trip to and from the corner, Pen expanded her

repertoire to visit the beloved Middle Road cows. Last year, she began biking to and from a nearby friend’s house, close enough that we let her do it herself, but far enough away that she got a first taste of independence.

North Haven is full of kids on bikes. In fall and spring, they bike to and from school; in summer they fly downtown, lifejackets on or flapping from their handlebars, to and from sailing, golf, and tennis.

The roads are hilly and prone to blind turns but are smoothly paved in most spots. Helmetwearing is consistent, at least among the elementary school set. Even a bike skeptic like me can get behind the importance of kids on bikes.

up on the school bike rack for a few weeks when I got the courage to ask her if she wanted to bike to school. Not that I was going to bike with her, but it felt like a major step.

I sometimes trailed behind, yelling instructions in an unnecessary and paranoid fashion.

Three-and-a-half miles, no adults biking with her, just a few other uptown kids as companions. Of course she said yes, and the next day my big little nineyear-old leapt out of bed (usually I have to scrape her out), called her neighbor to find out the rendezvous place and time, and said goodbye to me before I had eaten my banana.

her neighbor and the school principal, grinning and triumphant.

After school she biked downtown with most of her classmates to play at the ballfield. When I came to pick her up, she decided she wanted to bike home instead, which she did, all four miles, accompanied by a friend who stayed for a while.

Like Eliot in E.T., or really any kid from any ‘80s movie, with the ability to safely bike around, Pen’s loosened the first tether. Now, at times, she can come and go on her blue and white sevenspeed, a little less reliant on us, and a little more at home in the world.

Pen had been casting longing glances at the kids lining their bikes

At school I watched the front door nervously. Would she make it the whole way? Would she be on time? Overheated? Dehydrated? Injured? She rolled up before eight in a little procession with

journal of an island kitchen

Pet peeves with food and words

BY SANDY OLIVER

LINGUISTS ASSURE us that language is alive, always evolving. New words and reconfigurations of words emerge, and old familiar words acquire new meanings. I understand these are perfectly natural developments and I’m so annoyed about it.

For example, hydrate. I remember a time when if someone got thirsty they helped themselves to a drink of water, especially on hot days when they were working hard and sweating. Or when I, as a little kid, came in from rocketing around the yard on my tricycle and drew a drink of water from the kitchen faucet into a Dixie cup, one of three for each family member, lined up on the window sill. (Mom gave us fresh cups weekly; we were very frugal about our throw-aways.)

Nowadays we lug water bottles around with us like an army on the march with canteens, so we can stay hydrated. Thank goodness for reusable ones, because I am loath to think about the overwhelming number of plastic bottles filled with everything wet from actual water to funny colored and flavored liquids with nutritionallycorrect sounding names.

Or baby spinach. Did you know that 90% of the baby spinach we buy is grown in Salinas and Santa Maria counties in California or in Yuma County in Arizona? An internet search on “explain baby spinach farming in California” coughed up this: “The number of seeds planted per acre varies from …. 2.7 to 4 million seeds per acre for the two sizes of clipped spinach, baby (leaves 2- to 3.5-inches long), and teenage (leaves 3.5- to 4.5-inches long).”

I haven’t actually seen teenaged spinach in the produce section, but, yikes! That means, of course, there’s spinach never destined to become grown-ups. Baby spinach is not a condition of growth but rather a brand.

And spring mix, which appears all year round. Even though there is always some kind of spring occurring somewhere around the globe, spring mix is merely immature greens of many kinds of salad stuff harvested whenever it’s the right height to be shaved off mechanically. Another branding in lieu of condition of growth.

What I wonder is where they get the special, often red, lettuce which serves as starter slime. Every package has some so if you don’t eat the whole package within a very few days, you’ll

discover mucky bits and have to toss the rest and go buy more. Brilliant.

Then toothpicks. A few years ago while authoring a cookbook, I learned that when I advised a cook to check a cake to see if it was completely baked, I should write “insert a tester” to see if it came out clean. Couldn’t say toothpick because that is too, uh, gross? The association of our grubby, germy mouths and cake is, I suppose, unappealing. (Unless you are kissing someone.)

And “tester” is shorter than saying “a short piece of straight-grained white birch, shaved round to a very small diameter, tapered at both ends, designed to fit in tight spaces.”

And share. We share apartments, tools, kitchen spaces, meals, celebrations, ideas, books. As kids we are taught to share our toys. Now the word seems to be used in lieu of describe, express, explain, exclaim, declaim, inform, speak, tell, communicate, utter. You know, say something. I suspect the influence of human resource management here: “I want to share with you that we have observed your activity here and concluded that we’d like to free you up to explore other employment options.” Kinder, gentler firing.

If someone is coming at me with “share” in their mouth and no plate of cookies in their hands, I might run.

Courtney Naliboff teaches music and theater on North Haven. She may be contacted at Courtney.Naliboff@ gmail.com.

Finally, issues and food issues. Similarly, everyone knows by now that “issue” is a synonym for problems, difficulties of various stripes. “So-and-so has issues,” and we nod our heads understandingly. There sure are a lot of issues with food along with the anxiety that comes with them.

Almost nobody invites a new acquaintance over for dinner without asking if there are food avoidances or allergies to know about. Packaged food sells well when described by what’s not in it. No gluten, nuts, transfats, GMOs, sugar, etc. Or we see virtue-signaling: organic, probiotic, prebiotic, plant-based, locallymade by an employee-owned company.

Actually, what’s in even trusted brands? Check ingredient lists on the side of the package. Recently I discovered, that a fairly local—New Hampshire—organic, pro-biotic, whole milk yogurt has pectin in it. What? Why the hell do I need pectin my yogurt?

I have an issue with that I’d like to share with those people.

Sandy Oliver is a food historian (as well as a word cop) who gardens, cooks, and writes on Islesboro. She may be contacted at SandyOliver47@gmail.com.

cranberry

report

The islands explode into bloom

Busy season is cheered by flowers and plants

BY BARBARA FERNALD

“EVERYTHING Everywhere All at Once” is the title of an award winning movie I have yet to see. It also is a perfect description of the frenetic time of year in the Cranberry Isles between the middle of May and the middle of June. Our island populations are about to quadruple and there is work to finish before everyone gets here.

On Islesford the co-op store has been moved across the street. On Great Cranberry there is much progress on the new store being built after last winter’s fire. Houses that weren’t opened up for Memorial Day now move to the head of the line for caretakers and cleaners to do their magic, sometimes dealing with ancient plumbing and mouse or mink invasions. There is always something more to do.

as much work done as possible before the mosquitoes strike.

It’s a fascinating time to ride the mailboat. On almost any afternoon boat ride there is at least one person bringing plants back to their island. “Wow, where’d you get those gorgeous tomato plants?” “I’ve never seen petunias that color! Are they from Frost Farm?”

to say, “How about this for a movie? I’m calling it ‘All Spring Blossoms, All Over the Place, All at the Same Time!’”

It was as if all flowering plants were competing for the limelight with the flats of geraniums arriving by boat.

The first time I notice the wind blowing through new leaves and the first time I hear the hermit thrush…

This is the season when the  Double B is in the water and the afternoon ferry fills up fast. The larger  Sea Queen is hauled out for her annual maintenance, so space for seedlings, groceries, and passengers is a bit more limited. We keep an eye on each other’s plants on the boat lest an errant foot or grocery bag snaps a brand new perennial stem. Sometimes UPS or groceries get put off on the wrong island, but this never seems to happen with vegetation.

The apple trees were covered in pink and white while my late double tulips were still going strong. The purple lilacs joined in with the yellows of wild mustard, dandelions, and hawkweed. Azaleas and honeysuckle came out. The blues of veronica and forget-menots were showing up everywhere.

By the shore the beach peas flowered next to daisies and clover. Wherever I looked, something was blooming. I don’t remember experiencing this kind of timing before. It was quite something.

This short season has its share of aural intensity as well. The first time I notice the wind blowing through new leaves and the first time I hear the hermit thrush are two of my favorite sounds of the year.

phone. You just hold the phone in the direction of the birdsong, press record and it will identify the bird that is singing.

Merlin hears things I can barely hear. Quite a few of us use it. One day our postmaster, Joy, let her Merlin app record for an hour while she was attending a Zoom meeting. It identified 26 different birds that were singing nearby.

“I thought I missed the orioles this year, but now I know they were here even if I didn’t get to see them,” she told me. Joy then mentioned that this year the leaves appeared to have become huge overnight. She concurred that all the flowers seemed to be blossoming simultaneously. Odd but beautiful.

All around people are getting their gardens going. Most are hoping to get

Things felt slightly different to me this year as we entered the summer pre-season. Mother Nature seemed

observer

The joys and spills of medical

Nurses bring the human connection

BY PHIL CROSSMAN

WHAT A RIDICULOUS garment a hospital johnny is.

A few months ago, I was found to have cancer of the liver. I was sent to the Pen Bay Emergency Room to have tests done. At the end of a full day of echocardiograms, MRIs, and so forth, of wandering from one facility to another trying to keep my johnny secured, a lovely young woman came to tell me that, while she was sorry, two abnormal growths had been found on my liver.

I was so consumed with keeping my johnny fastened that her diagnosis barely registered.

I was reminded of a day, back on the island, at the Islands Community Medical Service center. At the appointed time I found myself sitting on the table in examination room 1, when the door opened and in walked Dr. Barbie. She wore a becoming plain little white smock not unlike the johnny I was wearing myself, having been told to put it on for the examination.

Actually, little being the operative word, the smocks were identical and

while hers very effectively and attractively contained that which it was intended to contain, mine struggled somewhat to achieve the same results.

Quite professionally, Barbie pulled into position the little swiveling doctor’s chair, an instrument of the trade with which she clearly hadn’t much experience. Having seated herself, she spun the chair around to face me and leaned back for a better vantage from which to consider her options but instead flipped over backwards, the chair crashing down on top of her.

I’m learning to identify a few more warblers like the black-throated green and the common yellowthroat. The northern parula warbler sings all the time. Last year, after listening to an online bird seminar from Cornell, I installed the free Merlin app on my

care

I digress.

I had my last treatment, several hours in “The Chair,” a week ago. For the last several months, each time I checked into the hospital for my scheduled treatment, the lovely nurse receptionist asked me to extend my arm toward her so she could secure a plastic bracelet, containing patient info, to my wrist.

It’s quite traumatic, like getting engaged at the beginning of the day and breaking up hours later.

I jumped off the table, my smock blowing in the current of the little fan on the windowsill like a semaphore flag caught in the rigging, and I flailed through the wreckage determined to free her before she succumbed to the crushing weight of all that debris.

I tripped, however, and fell on top of her which is where I was when the door opened and the nurse came in.

Then, after several hours of treatment in The Chair and pleasant engagement with the nursing staff there, one of them then offers to snip it off with scissors.

It’s quite traumatic, like getting engaged at the beginning of the day and breaking up hours later. On the other hand, we all knew I’d be returning in two weeks, and we could try and get together again.

But this time was different. I’m having a scan at the end of June to see where things stand, and I expect it to

This pre-summer season on the island has been a crazy busy time and feast for the eyes and ears. It reminds me of something I heard many years ago: “I’m SO busy. My life is just full of good things.”

Barbara Fernald lives on Islesford (Little Cranberry Island). She may be contacted at Fernald244@gmail.com.

reveal a full eradication in which case I’ll no longer be enjoying the leisurely companionship of the attentive and caring staff of nurses there at Pen Bay in the cancer care center.

One of these nurses, a young lady, quite fit, is a compulsive rock climber and each time she approaches my chair I feel I should challenge her to an armwrestling match. While I’m getting a little tired of the aftereffects of chemo, I’m certainly not tired of the nurses or doctors. They are all exceptionally capable, knowledgeable, and caring.

This has been an adventure, one that is ending, but I am a little melancholy at the prospect of not sharing those hours every few weeks with that inspiring and supportive group at the cancer care center.

Phil Crossman lives on Vinalhaven. He may be contacted at philcrossman.vh@ gmail.com.

When artists gather, sparks fly

Institute’s Artists & Makers Conference returns

BY LISA MOSSEL

THE STAFF at the Island Institute’s Archipelago store and gallery again presented its Artists & Makers Conference this year after a pandemic pause, celebrating the theme “Together Again!”

More than 100 attended to take in eight sessions, live music, Pecha Kucha-style storytelling presentations, and more.

The vibe at the conference was clear—Maine’s artists and makers community is a vibrant, engaging, and inspiring group of people. The hallways were full of laughter, hugs, and exclamations of hellos. Folks committed to take time away from their businesses and studios, shops and workspaces to invest in themselves to grow, learn, network, and connect.

In the wake of the pandemic, artists and makers continue building community, sharing and telling stories, and striving to build flourishing creative businesses. This event amplified those intentions and was an opportunity to share resources to support their continued success in the wake of many challenges facing artists in Maine today.

Through this conference, Island Institute aims to provide Maine’s artists and makers with practical, foundational information as well as inspirational elements coinciding with networking with peers and colleagues.

We often act as “translators” of sorts by taking traditional business resources and offering them through the lenses of peers and creative colleagues. This can enable artists to engage more directly and fully with the information. Certainly in recent years, artists were craving time to learn from their peers, with their peers. Gary from Swan’s Island reflected, “Though I’ve been productive, the monkish lifestyle hasn’t been easy for me. Thanks so much for this.”

Coming together is a powerful way to inform, engage, and fuel artists so they’ll know they’re not alone, especially since the pandemic.

We opened the conference with readings from Karin Spitfire, former poet laureate of Belfast, who shared her feminist viewpoint of the interconnectedness of her life, community, and place in the natural world.

Poetry continued in the first morning session, "New Directions," where

fathoming

Aquaculture: A bigger picture

BY MOLLY MILLER

AQUACULTURE IS the fastest growing food production sector in the world. The United Nation’s sustainable development goals identify aquaculture as playing a key role in development that safeguards “food security, livelihoods, human dignity, and natural resources.”

As we find ourselves needing to produce more food to support a growing population, many countries have turned to the sea. Yet the U.S. ranks only 18th in aquaculture production despite importing more than 85% of our seafood, of which more than half is produced by aquaculture.

While freshwater aquaculture represents the majority of U.S. production (namely catfish), marine aquaculture is a burgeoning industry in this country. Here in Maine, we have had an aquaculture industry since the1970s, beginning with Atlantic salmon, mussels, and oysters. Not only are we a leading producer of marine aquaculture in the U.S., but Maine is the largest producer of farmed kelp in the country. This sector is small but mighty, producing about 500,000 pounds in 2020 and it was the only aquaculture sector

in Maine to grow in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic.

Since 2012 the Island Institute has been working to help fishermen diversify their incomes, first through the Aquaculture in Shared Waters program and then through our own Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program in 2016. Over the years we have helped educate potential kelp farmers on the ins and outs of both the farming process and the necessities of running a business and have provided grants to mitigate start-up costs.

In four years, the ABD program helped 34 farms launch, contributing to the local economy of many coastal communities. Recently, we have begun tours of seaweed and shellfish farms to educate and inform the public about the process of farming and offer closeup views of a farm.

Because kelp is a crop that is set out in the fall (October-November) and harvested in spring (April-May), our first tours were in Spruce Head to see farmers harvest their product for this year.

attendees heard from artists Siem van der Ven, Sal Taylor Kydd, and Stephanie Crossman. The three shared taking their work in new directions, and adding or evolving into multidisciplinary paths.

Artists bring new media or product lines into their business models differently, van der Ven noted, and this conversation allowed these successful artists to articulate and share their best practices.

This year, more than ever, artists were seeking chances to hear from their peers and engage in conversation, especially in the “Living a Creative Life” session led by Joe and Nina Devenney. They mused on their lives, businesses, and creative selves and how crafting a life based on your needs is the way to thrive in the long run.

Artists appreciated the diverse perspectives about creative business models and the conversation around focusing on what’s a priority for you and making that work.

Kim Bernard’s workshop on “Where’s the Money” was a favorite, explaining where to find the resources, how to prepare applications and materials, and encouraged everyone to start and just submit one.

Sessions ranged from providing overviews of business model development, marketing approaches, as well as how to open a gallery, retail or coop space to sell directly to customers. Other more inspirational conversations took place in sessions that focused on what public art projects look like, a mini Pecha Kucha-style presentation.

Overall, a little bit of everything was offered, allowing attendees to engage at their own pace and depth in-line with their new and/or growing businesses. As spring turns into summer, the April Artists and Makers Conference is a great tool to begin planning for the season ahead and kick it off on the right foot. Much of the content presented is available for viewing at: www.islandinstitute.org/a&m-recordings.

Lisa Mossel is director of Archipelago, the Island Institute’s store and gallery at 386 Main Street in Rockland. She may be contacted at lmossel@islandinstitute.org.

With the help of Atlantic Sea Farms, we were able to see two lobstermen turned off-season kelp farmers and their crews harvest lines on their fouracre farms. Atlantic Sea Farms partners with fishermen looking to make additional money in their off-season and are already equipped with the boats and skills necessary to farm kelp.

Atlantic Sea Farms supplies the kelp seed and harvest bags and coordinates with the farmers to pick up their product at the dock as soon as it’s harvested. Farmers make approximately 60-70 cents per pound of wet product and a 1,000-foot line can produce as much as 5,000 pounds of kelp. In 2022 Atlantic Sea Farms partnered with 27 farmers to produce 973,000 pounds of kelp and still could not keep up with demand.

The kelp is transported in a refrigerated truck back to Portland where it is processed into a variety of products including kelp burgers, cubes for smoothies, “sea-chi” and “sea-kraut,” and a number of other products. Aside from its health benefits, this macroalgae

absorbs nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon dioxide to grow, leaving the water cleaner than when it started.

While we know that producing meat requires intensive uses of carbon, freshwater, and land, Americans have been slow to adapt to the mentality that some of our food needs to be grown in the ocean to feed us. There is an incredible opportunity to grow our young aquaculture industry in the cold, clean waters of Maine.

While the kelp harvest season has ended, we will begin similar visits for shellfish tours in the near future and look forward to talking to you about these farming processes in the near future.

Molly Miller is community development officer with Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront, working in the Center for Marine Economy on working waterfront resilience and the expansion of seaweed and shellfish aquaculture. She may be contacted at mmiller@islandinstitute.org.

Maine has growth potential in seafood sector

Maine is the largest producer of farmed kelp in the country.

Ready to serve ‘people from away’

Searsport sought to rival Bar Harbor as destination

BY KEVIN JOHNSON

THE STAFF of the Penobscot Park dining room and lunch counter in Searsport meet the gaze of the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. photographer’s camera in the accompanying photo. Their serious faces are frozen in time on a glass plate negative.

The tables are set and the shelf behind the counter is full of goods like soda, snacks, and cigars. Most of the people have the look of that time period with their pompadour-style hair and boater hats. However, the young woman on the right seems more modern, or at least timeless in her beauty, as if she has been teleported back in time to be a muse for historians.

Tourism has been a major industry in Maine since the late 1800s when “people from away” started coming to the state to enjoy its natural beauty, with Bar Harbor being one of the most popular destinations. They arrived primarily by steamship or train with money to spend.

When the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad opened its Northern Seaport Line to Searsport in 1905, the company saw an opportunity to create a tourist destination that would rival Bar Harbor and developed a resort at Kidder Point just across from Sears Island, where guests could arrive by train or steamer.

Penobscot Park opened for business in 1906. An advertisement in the Republican Journal in July 1910 boasted: “The only public bathing and boating place in Waldo County. Come and try one of D. R. White’s FAMOUS SHORE DINNERS. Large dancing pavilion with good music. Swings, ball grounds, bathing, boating and fishing. We guarantee to please!”

These amenities attracted summer people as well as local residents. The dances attracted bands from outside as well as within Waldo County. There were even plans to turn Sears Island into a first-class resort.

Unfortunately, the success of Penobscot Park was short lived. The harbor was too small for some of the larger boats, World War I forced it to close for several years and, most significantly, the arrival of the automobile to the masses meant tourists were not limited to steamboat or train stops when deciding their Downeast adventures.

The pavilion existed into the 1920s, eventually becoming a dance hall. Some of the small cottages were relocated as houses around Searsport. Today Sears Island is once again being considered for development, and, while that decision gets debated, the island continues to be in its natural state.

Cultural Connects program returns to Acadia

THE CULTURAL CONNECTIONS program returns to Acadia National Park after a year-long hiatus. This programming provides visitors to Acadia with the opportunity to learn from Maine’s Native artists, musicians, and scholars via bi-weekly summer demonstrations. Not only does the Cultural Connections program provide an important platform to support Wabanaki artists and educators, but it also fills a crucial role in communicating Acadia’s diverse cultural history to park visitors.

“The Wabanaki people have a deep connection to and understanding of the lands that now make up Acadia National Park,” says Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “This program not only centers that knowledge and helps others facilitate connections with this place we love, but it also reminds visitors that the Wabanaki Nations are still here, and Wabanaki people have an enduring connection to this land.”

All Cultural Connections programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Abbe Museum, and are free and open to the public.

The Cultural Connections programs at Acadia this summer are:

Fancy Basket Demonstration with Sarah Sockbeson, Penobscot

Wednesday, July 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jordan Pond House Lawn, Acadia National Park

Sarah Sockbeson is one of several basketmakers who take Wabanaki traditions to a new level with their contemporary styles. A citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation, Sockbeson apprenticed with basket maker Jennifer Neptune and combines contemporary elements such as painting and bone carving into her work. Known for her vivid color combinations and beautiful landscape paintings, Sarah will demonstrate the various steps within her artistic process.

Market Basket Demonstration with Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jordan Pond House Lawn, Acadia National Park

Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy, comes from a long line of fancy and utility basket makers. He uses his family’s traditional knowledge and style to create beautifully woven, sturdily built utility baskets that can be used for a variety of purposes.

A close-up of one of the staff at Penobscot Park.

Kevin Johnson is the photo archivist at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport. The museum is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through June 30, and Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. , Sunday noon to 5 p.m. through Oct. 15.

New exhibits include “Rusticators On The Water” and “Working The Sea.” For more information, see PenobscotMarineMuseum.org.

Talk and Storytelling with Dwayne Tomah, Passamaquoddy

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sieur de Mont Nature Center Patio, Acadia National Park

Dwayne Tomah, Passamaquoddy, will be hosting a talk and storytelling program regarding his work with the Passamaquoddy wax cylinders, which are the earliest known field recordings of Native Americans. These recordings, preserved on wax cylinders in 1890, include Passamaquoddy narratives, vocabulary, number lists, and songs. The Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Library of Congress have worked on restoring, digitizing, and revitalizing these recordings as digital repatriation.

Flintknapping Demonstration with Chris Sockalexis, Penobscot

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Jordan Pond House Lawn, Acadia National Park

Chris Sockalexis, Penobscot, is the tribal historic preservation officer for the Penobscot Nation and holds a bachelor of arts in anthropology from the University of Maine with his primary focus being on Maine archaeology.

A flintknapper with knowledge of the ancient art and technique of stone and bone tool production, Sockalexis is currently conducting research for his master’s of science degree at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute.

The staff at the Penobscot Park dining room and lunch counter in Searsport.

PHOTO: PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

PHOTO: PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

The Burnurwurbskek Singers, a Penobscot male drum group, performs at Cadillac Mountain Summit. PHOTO: COURTESY WILL NEWTON, FRIENDS OF ACADIA

Students sowing scallop spat

SPAT IS MORE than just the past tense of spit—students at Rockland’s Oceanside High School are working with the research and education team from Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership to better understand larval scallop distribution in Penobscot Bay.

The students are part of teacher Jennifer Cross’s STEM and Liberal Arts academy which ventures to Hurricane Island every year to explore hands-on learning in a natural environment. The students constructed and placed these spat lines in nearby waters last fall during the scallop spawning season and are now picking through the critters, which have grown enough in six months to be identifiable to the naked eye.

In addition to learning how many scallops are spawning around Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, these sorted scallops will be grown and studied in Hurricane Island’s 3.2 acre experimental aquaculture lease.

Nate Hathaway, outreach manager for Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership

REGISTER TODAY! bigelow.org/cafesci

Tuesdays at 5 p.m. July 11 – August 15

SEA LIFE

from a new perspective

Bigelow Laboratory’s Café Sci is a fun, free way for you to engage with ocean researchers on critical issues and groundbreaking science.

Register online now to join us virtually or in person at our laboratory in East Boothbay, Maine!

SPONSORED BY

The Cross for LifeFlight is Maine’s premier, statewide, choose-your-own-activity summer event, and our most important fundraising event of the year.

Unlike other rigorous and “elite” athletic fundraising events, The Cross is intentionally designed to align with LifeFlight’s mission of being widely available to people regardless of age, ability, and where they are in Maine.

Joining The Cross is simple! Register and track any outdoor activity that you do in August. Whether you like to walk, run, hike, bike, paddle, row, or sail, every mile you "Cross" counts and helps get us closer to our goal of raising awareness and funds for Maine’s only air ambulance service.

If you prefer to enjoy Maine with friends (old and new!), join us for a group paddle in Casco Bay, a family-friendly hike in Belgrade, or a guided bike ride in Turner.

Linkel Construction, Inc.

Locally owned and operated; in business for over twenty-five years.

• Specializing in slope stabilization and seawalls.

• Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) certified.

• Experienced, insured and bondable. Free site evaluation and estimate.

• One of the most important investments you will make to your shorefront property.

• We have the skills and equipment to handle your largest, most challenging project.

Connor O’Neil is a North Haven resident working in the lobster industry as a sternman, looking to diversify his income by expanding into an aquaculture business that he runs with his wife, Hannah. With a Compass Workforce grant from Island Institute, Connor is purchasing equipment to map and monitor the area where they will be farming scallops and seaweed. Once they are farming their products, Island Institute will connect them to a network of potential buyers of their products, to ensure future success.