Wednesday September 2

THE MAINE STREAM

THE COAST

E Science - Fish in U.S. waters from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border have moved away from their traditional, long-time habitats over the past four decades because of fundamental changes in the regional ecosystem, according to a new report by NOAA researchers. . . The ecosystem spans approximately 100,000 square miles and supports some of the highest revenue-generating fisheries in the nation. During the past 40 years, the ecosystem has experienced extensive fishing by domestic and foreign fleets, changes in ocean water temperatures due to climate change, and pressures from increasing human populations along the coast.. . . Warming of coastal and shelf waters has led to northward shifts in distribution of some fish species and changes to a warmer-water fish community. . . Species-selective harvesting patterns have also contributed to shifts in the composition of the ecosystem, which is now dominated by small pelagic fishes such as herring and mackerel, shellfish species, and elasmobranchs (skates and small sharks) of relatively low economic value. . . . The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf is classified as experiencing ecosystem overfishing, although marked improvement has occurred in the condition of a number of harvested species. Exploitation rates, or the rate at which fish are removed from the ocean, have been significantly reduced in many fish stocks during the last decade, indicating that management measures put in place to reduce overfishing are beginning to show dividends.

Colin Woodard, Working Waterfront - Last year, readers of this column learned that the numbers city officials and cruise ship advocates had been bandying around for years-that each passenger spends $103 a day in port-were based on erroneous assumptions. . . Now we have a concrete answer, thanks to Todd Gabe and James McConnon of the University of Maine School of Economics, who surveyed passengers at the gangway last summer. Their conclusions: the average Portland passenger spends $80.52 ashore, 22 percent less than previously assumed. Almost $7 of that is spent in Freeport (where many are bussed) and an unknown amount in the Kennebunks and the White Mountains of New Hampshire (two other popular bus tours.)

Maine Today - The Maine Lighthouse Museum [reports that] donations have allowed the museum to continue to pay its back bills. . . Many in-kind donations have also been made, such as computers that will allow for smoother operations. Local businesses and artists have stepped forward with donations of items for raffles and auctions as well as concerts to benefit the museum. . . New volunteers have come forward to act as docents, conduct workshops, and help with fund raising and marketing. A new video kiosk in the museum lobby will not only raise funds but will provide visitors with information about Rockland attractions and businesses.

Working Waterfront - For members of a lobster co-operative in eastern Maine to decide to build a refrigerated tank house in the midst of a worldwide recession takes tremendous courage. But that is precisely what the 32 members of the Winter Harbor Lobster Co-operative, Inc. did. Their system will be able to hold 23,000 pounds of lobster for either short or long-term. It will also keep lobster from molting, thus providing the customer with consistent hard shell product year round. . . Th co-op members found themselves shocked by all the different prices being offered by dealers. . . . The result: the decision to sell only top-quality hard shell product for which they would be able to demand top dollar. They should be able to do this, stated Nova Scotia lobster dealer Ronald O'Connell, of West Bay Fisheries, in Clark's Harbor, Nova Scotia, who has such a system, because lobster, when kept at a temperature of 36 degrees Fahrenheit, won't go into the shed process.

"Tackle Box" Billy Kelley, Bollard on the Maine State Pier - Only two legal places to sit on a wharf and spend a nice afternoon with a fishing pole and they want one of 'em. . . I don't really know how much revenue is involved, but is it worth it? . . . I don't really know the background of these city planners, but I'd venture to say, and I'm willing to put money on the bet, that they don't go fishing down the pier. They wouldn't be acting so irrationally if they did. Don't they realize the history and heritage of that pier? How many dads have taught their kids to fish there over the ages?. . . I invite all these planners for a day spent on the waterfront. And I'll dare you to catch sight of a youngster catching his or her first fish and manage not to smile at the sheer joy of the moment.

ECONOMY

Bangor Daily News suggests its city may soon be holding an empty building festival: At least seven "big box" type buildings in the city are vacant and some have been for some time. Rod McKay, the city's economic development director, said the economy has been partly to blame but he also said the phenomenon is cyclical. . . Case in point, Lowe's Home Improvement is planning to take over the old Wal-Mart store on Springer Drive. . . Even with eventual turnover, though, there are some buildings that have been vacant for some time with no sign of being filled. At a recent meeting in Bangor, a market analyst reported that Bangor's vacancy rate, based on available square footage as of July 1, was 12.3 percent, much higher than the national average of 7.5 percent.

EDUCATION

Husson University has made a second request of the Maine Supreme Court, asking permission to open the state's second law school. Enrollment would be around 30-50 students.

HEALTH

WBUR - Hannaford employees who complete a health risk appraisal and participate in health improvement programs can save $1,000 on their annual premiums. . . Hannaford reports that its health insurance costs declined 11% over a three-year period. For employees, the results have been just as impressive. In the first year of the program, 26% of Hannaford workers were at risk of high cholesterol. In year two, that number was cut in half. The percentage of employees who smoke was reduced from 20% in year one to 10% in year two.

FARMING

Maine Public Broadcasting - Maine's blueberry crop is healthy, despite this summer's heavy rain. Maine Wild Blueberry Commission Executive Director David Bell says the crop isn't record-breaking, but the berries are "high quality." Bell says it's too early to tell how many pounds of berries will be harvested, but he says the season was a solid one.

Maine Biz - Potato growers expect a harvest as good as or better than last year, even though late blight appeared in parts of Aroostook County and had to be staved off by emergency aerial applications of fungicide in July. Tim Hobbs, of the Maine Potato Board, told the Bangor Daily News that farmers planted 56,000 acres of potatoes, the same amount as last year, and expect a high yield once they start picking mid-September, bringing in about $125 million in sales.

GAY MARRIAGE

Ben & Jerry`s, celebrates the beginning of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont with the symbolic renaming of its well-known ice cream flavor "Chubby Hubby" to "Hubby Hubby." In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry`s aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, will serve "Hubby Hubby" sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

POLICE BLOTTER

Boing Boing - Portland's Gary Moody has been caught -- for a second time -- hiding inside a pit latrine at a campsite. The first time he claimed he'd dropped his wedding ring (authorities sieved the biomass and found no ring); this time he claimed he'd dropped his shirt. In an affidavit, he describes himself as having an "outhouse problem." In October of 2005, Moody pleaded no contest to trespass. The judge imposed a 30-day jail sentence but suspended all of it in exchange for two years of probation. Moody was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $700 restitution to the Forest Service for the cost of pumping out the toilet tank and screening the contents. He also was sentenced to 30 days in jail in Maine for violating conditions of his probation by leaving the state without permission.

Union Leader, NH - A 13-page affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, last week details the investigation that began Memorial Day weekend, after U.S. Forest Service investigators looked into reports that "a man was inside in the waste vault" at Hastings Campground in Gilead, Maine, a few miles from the New Hampshire border at Shelburne.
Two campers were interviewed. One said her teenage niece "made a comment that there was something going on at the toilet." The second said her 9-year-old son had been waiting outside the toilet and when she went to check on him, she peered inside and saw the toilet had been pulled off the floor and human waste was on the floor. "At that point, a man popped up out of the hole leading to the waste vault," according to court papers, and she then "observed a man come out of the restroom completely wet. The man (said), 'Sorry about that, I was getting my shirt.'"

PORTLAND

Bon Appetit - In our second annual report on the nation's top food towns, Portland, Maine, takes the prize thanks to its fresh seafood, local beers, artisanal bakeries, and the best breakfasts in country. You may be wondering how we made our decision: We ate our way there. My scouting (aka eating) trips to Portland, Maine resulted in some of the best meals of my life. And after much deliberation with the Bon Appetit staff, we decided that Portland was the choice for this year's honor. . . Recipes from America's Foodiest Small Town . . . Cod with mussels, chorizo, fried croutons, and saffron mayonnaise from Hugo's. . . . Corned beef hash from Hot Suppa! . . . Mascarpone polenta with wild mushrooms and smoked ricotta from Bresca . . . Pan roasted scallops with roasted sweet potatoes from Caiola's . . . Pumpkin whoopie pies with maple marshmallow cream filling from Two Fat Cats Bakery

SPORTS

411 Mania - Mal Leary of the Capitol News Service reports that Maine's Governor, John Baldacci, had a ceremonial bill signing in his office, a new legislative bill opens the path for mixed martial arts competition in the state. Baldacci said, "When I first learned of the legislation, I was a little skepticalI have not followed mixed martial arts as it developed into one of the most popular and fast-growing sports, but I have begun to watch it and appreciate it more for the training that people go through." The new law set up the Mixed Martial Arts Authority of Maine. The MMA Authority of Maine will define mixed martial arts as a combative for compensation sport featuring a mix of karate, jiujitsu, Muay Thai, tae kwon do, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo, and striking and grappling techniques.

Examiner - Once a Class C misdemeanor in Tennessee, MMA is now the fastest-growing sport in the United States. . . Unlike the "no holds barred" fighting or "Toughman" contests of old, where combatants used no protective gear and fought without restrictions or rules, MMA fighters use a combination of martial arts and other fighting systems, such as boxing and kickboxing, to compete against each other. Depending on the promoter, the fights usually occur in a ring, just like in boxing, or in what is called "The Octagon", which is an 8-sided fighting ring used by the most well-known MMA promotional company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

FAIR POINT

Biz Journals - Fair Point Communications Inc. says it can find no evidence to support an anonymous claim that it faked regulatory tests before converting New England customers to its network in February.
The Charlotte-based telecom responded to the allegations in a letter to regulators in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Fair Point says it hired two law firms to look into the allegations outlined in an anonymous e-mail sent to regulators Aug. 14. The company says it may wish to continue its internal investigation. But it says to date the law firms "discovered no evidence to support the allegations of fraudulent or fabricated testing process."

FURTHERMORE. . .

Headline of the Day - Wiscasset tax rate could go up or down

An interview with Lynn Williams