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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 S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 6 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 some of the best from our online-only offerings: Featured @ Mainebiz.biz From the Editor S ummer's over and with it, the drumbeat of busi- nesses closing their doors for the fi nal time. e roster of closures includes Waterman's Beach Lobster in South omaston, the restaurant and bar at the istle Inn in Boothbay Harbor, three Ruby Tuesday's locations, the Hero sandwich shop in Portland, Bugaboo Creek. You could include Howard Johnson's in there, though it had already lasted longer than anyone would have expected. Restaurants are often the fi rst casualties in a lackluster economy. As to why, there were as many reasons as there were closures. Ruby Tuesday's, like Howard Johnson's, may have run its course. e owner of the istle Inn said it was too much to run an inn and a restaurant, so he's looking for a third- party operator. Hero, from the owners of OTTO's Pizza, never got any traction. Of the closures, Waterman's Beach Lobster may have been the one that surprised me the most. I fi rst heard about Waterman's before moving to Maine. A restaurant publicist in Philadelphia, a man whose enthusiasm seemed boundless, told me I had to go there. It is the best lobster shack in Maine, he told me. Unfortunately, we never made it there. We tried once, but it had already closed for the season. I fi rst heard about Waterman's plan to close via an email from a friend from Nashville who brings his family to Camden every August. Waterman's was "a no-frills, family operation that provided bona fi de fresh lobster right from the dock. Several years ago they won a James Beard award for their fare," my friend lamented. "I am sure there must be many such places as Waterman's Beach Lobster on the Maine [coast], but we have always been impressed by the woman who ran this one, and how good the food was, including the homemade pies." It's an all-too-common tale in Maine: A well-loved restaurant with a dedicated clientele. e owner wants to retire and there's no one to take over. Neither the family nor an outside buyer steps in, and the place closes. Here's the larger point I'm making. ere are only 1.2 million of us in Maine. We depend on seasonal visitors to boost our coff ers in the summer. But we need to be more active in attracting entrepreneurs and business people to the state. at leads me to another point: We need to send the right message out to the rest of the country and the world. We've seen the kind of impact bad leader- ship can have. People in Indiana or North Carolina or Arizona will tell you they're not always happy with the message their elected leaders put out there, but, as a business community, we need to help our own elected leaders get the message straight. It starts with civility, but it is also about being careful about the unintended message we deliver. is isn't about politics. It's about economic devel- opment. It's about attracting entrepreneurs. It's about attracting businesses from New England and beyond. It's about growing the state we live in and stand by. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Maine needs more businesses — and more businesspeople Phase 2 of Casco Bay Ferry Terminal renovations are a go Phase II of the Casco Bay Lines Terminal Improvements project will enhance the safety and manageability of the terminal, which is out- dated and serving more than double the number o f individuals it was originally designed to han- dle. Find out how the terminal raised the funds at mainebiz.biz/casco UNE welcomes largest class in history The incoming class of students at the University of New England is the largest since the private university began keeping records. Find out how UNE boosted enrollment at mainebiz.biz/une16 Inc.'s 'Fastest Growing' list Eight Maine-based companies made Inc. magazine's annual list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States, including one for the sixth year in a row. Find out who made the cut at mainebiz.biz/inc2016 Be smart. BE SHUR. bernsteinshur.com When you need a JD with an MBA's approach. There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us There are only 1.2 million of us in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal in Maine. We depend on seasonal visitors to boost our coffers in the summer. But we need to be more active in attracting entrepreneurs and business people to the state.

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