December 2015 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 11. D.E.L.A. Director's Report From the Director –


Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which brings a whole new awareness to what we are thankful for this year. In the light of all that is going on around us, Paris, terrorists, a tourist jet bombed down over Egypt, it can be a little diffi cult to focus on a holidays and festivities. There is a lot to be thankful for this year at the end of our inshore lobster season. We do not want to overshadow all of the hard work that we have been doing to make 2015 a successful lobster harvest. The season was more like an “old fashioned” one with the prices holding up quite well in all areas. The more recent saying is “save a turkey, eat lobster for Thanksgiving.” Let’s try to continue on the best that we can. If someone needs a helping hand to bring up their gear or their boat breaks down, working together will pull us through. This time of the year, Mike and I are no strangers to having help from our fellow lobstermen. I am forever thankful for people like Leroy Bridges, who came to Belfast with his vessel, “Miss Madison” from Deer Isle in 2006 to help us bring our gear in due to losing the engine. When this happened, all of the guys in the harbor had already brought their boats up for the season and couldn’t help us out. I also remember when Mike had his heart problems and was in the ICU, (the year 2000) the guys in our harbor had permission from Marine Patrol and brought our gear up for us. I was beside myself because I was in no position to go out and bring it all in! We are still forever “Thankful” for their help.


These acts of kindness are all tradition, which I know that we work hard to represent in our industry.


I am saying this also


because one of the big topics right now is the lobster licensing and waiting list. A lot of people are quite concerned with the fact that our older generation is retiring or passing away. We need to have our younger generation involved with the fi shery, belong to associations and stay “in the loop” to know what is changing in the legislature and represent our lobster industry for the future. Coming from a fi shing family, when


my parents passed on, it took me a while to accept the fact that we are left to carry on. I know that they worked hard to raise us up and set the example to go by. It wasn’t always easy. Most of us were raised by fathers that had come home from the war, so they went from being soldiers to being a parent. We certainly understood what hard work and responsibility meant! This statement also came to my mind because Veteran’s Day is also recently behind us. I am also Thankful for all of our Veterans. They also taught us respect and how to be thankful.


D.E.L.A. would also like to welcome our new member, Garbo Lobster Company, Inc.!


We have also been working on updating


the DELA website with pictures that we asked you all to send in to us. Christy Perce (our daughter), has been working on this with successful results.


The pictures that


have been sent in are also on our Facebook site.


I’d like to Thank Christy for her help and continued efforts to keep DELA up to date by inviting member and fi sherman participation. We love to hear from the wives, too! Theresa Chipman is quite an accomplished photographer.


The new


picture on the Facebook site was taken by John Chipman, Jr. and the website picture was sent in by Richard Hildings of Vinalhaven. We have more pictures to post, from Karen Densmore (F/V Empty Pockets) Corea and more…Thank you to all! We are also working on our Associate Member list that we want to post in the Maine Coastal News, as well as our Board of Directors. This has all been a work in progress, but we plan to accomplish this as time goes on.


Also, don’t forget that


we welcome your ad in the Maine Coastal News. Our “staff” is rather limited, so we don’t always have an ad person going to each business, so if you are interested, please contact me at any time. Your ad helps to support DELA which is a generous gift from Jon Johansen. The ads are very similar to sponsorship, as you have seen in the MLA


JOHANSON BOATWORKS Full Service Yacht Yard


P. O. Box 88 Belfast, Maine 04915 – dassatt711@yahoo.com Month: September – 2015 - 2016 – “Working together”


Name: _____________________________________ Address: _________________________________ Town/city: __________________ Zip: ________


Phone number:___________________E-mail address___________________ Type of membership:


( ) Lobsterman/stern man ($100) yearly


Rockland, Maine • 207-596-7060 info@jboatworks.com • jboatworks.com


2015 LOBSTER BOAT RACE CD


( ) Lobsterman – age 70 & over ($50) ( ) Student ($56) yearly ( ) Business associate ($113) yearly ( ) Avid supporter ($132) yearly ( ) Friend of DELA ($100)


( ) I wish to support DELA’s legal fund _____________


( ) I wish to support DELA’s Scholarship Fund____________ We also take Master Card and Visa


Card _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _- _ _ _ _- _ _ _ _ Expiration date _ _/_ _ Security code _ _ _


Over 800 photographs from all 2015 lobster boat races except Portland. $12.50, which includes postage.


To order: Maine Coastal News, P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME, 04496 or call (207) 223-8846 and charge to your credit card.


Card holder’s name (print) _______________________________________________ Card Holder’s signature___________________________________________________


*Downeast Lobstermen’s Association is a qualified tax exempt organization under section 501 ( c ) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code


License no. ___________


Landings that you receive in the mail. Our Associate members are a very important part of our membership. We work hard to represent their businesses to help their success in the industry. When we work together with our businesses, it helps them to fl ourish as well. We also plan to carry on with the suggestions from our Board of Directors to contact our schools to inform them of our DELA Scholarship Fund. We have successfully awarded two scholarships from this fund which is completely funded by donations from our membership. We are very proud of the DELA Scholarship Fund and the participation of our members. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you once again.


I haven’t been very political in this report due to all of the circumstances that we are surrounded with and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I think it is a good time to refl ect on some of the good things that we have done for one another. Please enjoy your families and friends this holiday season. Christmas is also sooner than we think!


January 14th


Our next DELA meeting is Thursday, at Jasper’s Restaurant in


Ellsworth – 6:00 p.m. (weather permitting). I will post any changes on Facebook and downeastlobstermen.org.


Thank you to all of you and have a Merry Christmas, too! Blessings, Sheila


The draggers WILLIAM LYNN and TITAN tied up in Portland.


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