Shorelines
Passaconaway Bridge collapse affects Nubble Lighthouse caretaker, too
Mike Lewis doesn't complain about the recent floods; not in the least. But he's been affected by them in an exceptional way.York's working waterfront
Each and every second-grade student in town had the opportunity to get their feet wet, so to speak, learning about the working waterfront from a local lobsterman during a special visit to the Town Dock on Tuesday.
Jeff White was on hand with his 40-foot lobster boat, the Jacqui And Nicole - named for his three young daughters, to greet curious students from Village and Coastal Ridge Elementary Schools as they came, class-by-class, wearing their life preservers and bringing their questions about an industry that has made Maine famous.
White, pictured above with students from Village Elementary School, shared such key facts about lobsters as their inability to see in color, the length they must be in order to be kept for sale by lobstermen, the importance of safety equipment on the open waters and some of the unexpected items lobstermen find in their traps - ranging from spiny dogfish to soda cans.
In Maine, he explained, lobstermen are only allowed 800 traps each and children as young as eight years old can apply for their lobstering license.
When one student asked if he likes his work, White smiled.
"Lobstering's kind of a job you have to like to do because you don't make the same amount of money each week," he told them.
Earlier that morning, for example, White said he took in 10 pounds of lobster, as regulations require about three out of every four lobsters caught be released for various reasons. During the best weeks of the summer, he said, that number could climb to between 800 and 1,000 pounds for an average boat.
And what did the second-graders think of their visit with White?
Eight-year-old Rosie Perkins summed it up with one word: "Awesome!"
For more on York's working waterfront, see next week's edition of The Independent.
- Jennifer L. Saunders
