We are thankful for our Pine Point waterfront. We don’t work in an office, a factory or a garage. The water is our workplace. We work hard maintaining boats, repairing traps or nets, hoping for a good catch each day.

Yes, we are thankful for the support we have received over the years:

For the harbormaster, who oversees water activity and safety.

For the Pine Point Fisherman’s Co-op for bait we need and to whom we sell our fresh catch at day’s end.

For the recently built town dock so the heavy catch can be lifted from the water to land.

For the accessible parking, which we share with recreational boaters.

Advertisement

For residents who visit the dock and see how we help put food on their table.

But, right now, we are worried about the future. The Scarborough Town Council is considering a sale of the Pine Point Fisherman’s Co-op, which would affect us and change the Pine Point landing area forever. Preliminary agreements appear to entirely favor the buyer. Specific protections to maintain the town’s working waterfront, as well as the fishermen who keep it alive, are lacking.

The community needs a wise decision by the Town Council. We urge them not to ignore or shabbily treat what exists just to replace it with a for-profit business whose singular goal is to make money for itself.

Councilors should use the leverage they currently have at their disposal to negotiate a deal that protects while being reasonable to a buyer. We ask them to be careful and be creative! Buyers are plentiful, but working waterfronts are not.

Pauline Levin

Scarborough


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.