Page 6. MAINE COASTAL NEWS October 2016 '70 M - W G L B? By Lee S. Wilbur This summer I’ve had the pleasure of
reading two remarkable books. One, “The Lobster Coast” by Colin Woodard, 1905, an excellent production of life and happenings along the Maine coast with history back- ground. The second was George Street’s “The History Of Mount Desert Island” published in 1903, an in depth history of the “who was and what happened.” Would be an understatement when I say that both have left me with a very uneasy feeling of what is now happening and has been hap- pening to Maine since “She” was discov- ered back in... I say ‘She’ because only those who have traveled this state could re- alize her extensive beauty can be compared only to a truly gorgeous female. Why do I say these two have left with
a greater uneasiness me for our future than ever? Two weeks ago, beautiful sun- day morning, AJ and I picked up coff ee in Southwest and drove down to Seawall and the cable crossing. One of our all time fa- vorite spots (so-named because the electric cable crosses to the Cranberry Isles from there). It was beautiful as always. Quiet. Few lobster boats working in the Western Way. Sailboat race making up with colorful “Gennys” unfurling into the soft Northwest
breeze. Parking lot for the “crossing” is town
owned property. In truth, a turning area. Never see more than 2-3 cars there at a time. Stepped out of the car to go down on the beach, fi nd a good rock to sit and enjoy the view. Where one had to nimbly set from boulder to boulder to access the rock beach there were now these beautiful huge granite block stairs. For a fl eeting second my thought was “Wow! So this is now where some of our tax dollars are go- ing.” No. I caught myself. Never happen. We’re too conservative in SW Harbor. And besides the boulders “worked” for naviga- tion with a peck of mussels before green crabs destroyed the mussel population. Wasn’t until we’d fi nished our coff ee and walked back up the stairs (two of which I doubt that an elder will be able to navi- gate due to their height) from our favorite pastime of beachcombing, that I noticed a sign informing this was now “The Manset Fields”, managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust, headquartered in that “un-Mainely” Quonset building in Somesville. Along- side was another MCHT sign, telling of the “Kelly Farm”, another entity managed by MCHT, showing two cute children eating carrots which one would be led to believe
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were grown by themselves. And that’s when the “niggle” began to
grow. Before I go further, I do thank and con-
gratulate Ben Emory and staff for the work they’ve done over the last several years to capture some of our state and especially the coast to preserve it for my grandchildren... now
fourth-generation...and theirs as well if they’re able to live here. No one loves and appreciates this state any more than I. However, when is enough?? The niggle had surfaced from several
items at play and discussed in the books. One item, which began early on after we became a state, while the Maine “charac- ter” and characteristics were forming was/ is “Visitation”. People started coming for summer vacations. They fi rst came to spend a bit of time “boardin” then in a few more years to stay at the large, fl ourishing sum- mer hotels. Great source of annual income. Mainers had their homes, land for existence farming. Then they began to purchase their own land, primarily oceanfront, and start- ed building the large homes and fi nally the mansions. Initial payments stayed in Maine with sellers along with some annual care- taking money and taxes. Then, as more and more land has been purchased natives have been pushed out, only pockets remaining. This is where my niggle, latent for
some time now begins to blossom. As Ron- nie Musetti, a local lobster fi sherman out of high school, has just written “our heri- tage is being sold”. What he doesn’t yet realize is that our heritage has, except for a few patches along the coast, already been sold. Go as we have in Big Green Canoe this summer and try and fi nd a fi sherman’s dock. Christ, they’re lucky to have a place to park the pickup and a line off the beach for a punt. And lobstering, if it isn’t already, has got to be our number one industry, if only what Maine is so well known for. Part of the niggle, actually a great part
is how long can this go on. Should MCHT perhaps begin to focus on purchasing lob- ster wharves? And yet, the niggle broadens. Where will these lobster fi shermen live?
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Look what our countrymen to the south are now beginning to buy. Houses and land off the coast and not just on lakes and rivers. In the middle of “no where’s-ville” Places I can’t even imagine living. And why? Drive the backroads, the rural areas. Count the great old Maine farmhouses, the graceful cape cods with adjoining barns the houses in towns, abandoned, grass and trees grow- ing up around them. The main street stores are now tattoo parlors and antique shops if they’re open at all. As if half of our popu- lation’s has realized it’s impossible to make a living here and moved out. How much longer will folks endure a two hour com- mute to fi nd work. Who will move or stay in towns like Lubec if schools are closing? Will there be enough true “Mainers” left to enjoy Maine Coast Heritage’s work? And the niggle’s other ugly question.
Taxes? Who in this state will be able to af- ford the taxes. Out of stater’s don’t seem to have a problem. Without well paying employment where will the money come from? I live on MDI, the “Million Dollar Island,” Hancock County. Here is as close to recession proof as possible. Relatively few can go lobstering, relatively few more own businesses, Jackson Lab has some well paying positions. Then there’s caretaking, Wal-mart, summer work in restaurants and shops. Still pretty much for the majority to make enough to weather the winter. And then there’s the other recent pur-
chase and gift in Northern Maine by Ms. Quimby in league with a president seeking legacy at our expense. “The Great Maine Woods Monument.” Think about it. More land taken from taxation, more land where we can no longer hunt and probably fi sh, where one of our last renewable resourc- es can no longer be harvested. And, for a “Monument to What”? A Tree? Slip, slip, slipping away. Yes, the “Gold Leafers are coming”.
What Mainers, excepting banks, lawyers, and doctors ever used gold leaf for sign lettering and then never with such abandon as you’ll see in southern Maine, a part that used to be Maine. Ain’t it cute!!
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