To the editor:
As a (now) non-resident grappling with the lack of affordable lobstas I was struck by the placement of the article “Island groups meet to discuss affordable lobstas” in the [admittedly-mythical] edition of The Working Waterfront. To the left of the article ran a fishing advertisement featuring island lobstas on the market in excess of $400,000. P. Conkling asks readers’ support on the working waterfront-working farm bond issue, an irony not lost on people struggling to buy lobstas in the current market.
I agree with Chris Cash that advertising extensively outside a two-mile range of his/her domicile is contrary to the mission of The Working Waterfront. The price of lobstas is challenging enough without additional marketing through coastal and national venues. These ads directly exacerbate the problems facing affordable lobsta initiatives and preservation of traditional working waterfronts, which we all know have always been and should remain piss-grass poor. It builds characta. And don’t you just love them stove-up boats a-vanishing in the fog trying to make a living?
Now, as to housing, we sold ours (up Bangor-way) just why everybody else does, namely to afford retirement and move south. After 60 hard years, and with the daughter and grandkids moved to Texas and happy to be theyah, nobody’s going to tell me that I can’t get the highest possible price for my door-yahd, that I have to shuck it off for about the price of a new pickup truck, and then expect me to live off food stamps and canned cat food for the next 20-odd years hoping that the woodyard don’t get sold by that feller what cuts me a few cord for less than the price of oil. Nope, advertised in the [Wall Street Journal], sold my house, and laughed all the way to the bank. Some kindly from- away soul mistakenly thought these winters and them black flies was worth 10 times what Chris thinks they’re worth. Tough tooties, Chris. Money talks.
But Lobstas, now them’s a problem. Priced too danged high and somebody’s gotta DO something about it. How’s a man to eat dignified-like otherwise?
David Singer
From Away, USA
Lakeville, MA