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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 2 0 From the Editor A ugusta and Waterville and the surrounding areas were already undergoing major changes in the past few years, but the pandemic has added another dimension to the changes. As Renee Cordes reports, omas College is investing in its immediate future, spending $1 million just to get ready for students in the fall. Elsewhere in her roundup, she notes that the current economic uncertainty did not prevent two banks from merging. See "Central Maine roundup" on Page 12. e dairy industry has already seen some dif- ficult years and the pandemic has added a new level of stress. To see how farmers and producers are coping, see Laurie Schreiber's story, "Dairy duress," on Page 15. Summer camps typically generate $200 million in economic activity a year. is year, of course, proves to be a different story, yet while most camps are closed some are finding ways to generate revenue in other ways. See Maureen Milliken's "Happy camping in the COVID era" on Page 18. Elsewhere in the issue, we rank Maine's highest paid lobbyists on Page 22. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is our most popular content for the two weeks from June 22 to July 5. 1. Portland fintech ZipLine acquired by Atlanta firm 2. INNside out: Looking to salvage their season, these inns are dining outdoors 3. Last of Dead River's major investment properties sells for $9.95M 4. The outsiders: Startups in Maine's $3B outdoor recreation industry are long-term bullish 5. Plans for massive $59M Kittery apartment complex go for final town approval 6. Maine hotels and inns can open today, but out-of-staters still have to quarantine 7. Maine tourism industry ratchets up pressure on state; indoor seating for bars delayed 8. Portland cracks down on COVID-rule scofflaws, Old Port businesses 9. Nonprofit lists Scarborough office building for $2.5M 10. Businesses in popular tourist destination strategize to survive Bar Harbor bust P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY 1 bernsteinshur.com Be smart. BE SHUR. When you need a lawyer who thinks like an executive and speaks like a human. Amid economic changes, central Maine adapts In 1995, I founded the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (www.NamaNet.org) to advocate for com- mercial fishermen. I learned quickly that fishermen fiercely resist change, and non-fishermen sometimes borrow fishermen as props in political dramas. Last year, lawyers, lobbyists and special interests enlisted fishermen to kill a hotel proposal that would have generated $2 million for upgrades to Portland's working waterfront. The project also would have extended electricity and water to Widgery Wharf for commercial fishing boats docked there. A Maine Sustainable Seafood Center would demonstrate processing of seafood landed by local fishermen. A coastal culinary academy and an R&D kitchen would celebrate our catches. The project planned direct, personalized promotion to honor Maine fishermen, their boats and their prod- ucts. In summary, it encouraged innovation to make Portland's working waterfront a world-famous desti- nation for children, tourists, chefs and journalists. The demon invoked to kill those ideas was tour- ism. Yes, we had too many tourists, those irritating people who busy our streets and buy lots of seafood. Lawyers, lobbyists and special interests triumphed, and profited. Fast forward one year, to the pandemic. The inno- vative marketing ideas floated last year are dead and buried, and the waterfront parcel proposed for those innovations languishes as an asphalt lot for park- ing cars. A recent New York Times article quoted a Maine lobsterman on the fishing season, "the worst it's ever been," and summarized the problem suc- cinctly: "Too many lobsters and not enough people to eat them." Now is the perfect opportunity to reconsider open contempt for tourists, and the millions they spend buy- ing fresh seafood and supporting local businesses. I believe a Maine boat's catch is the finest in the world. I also believe commercial fishermen and lobstermen can warm up to customers who buy their products. Change is possible, and often a very good thing. I remain an optimist. Craig Pendleton Old Orchard Beach L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R

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