Why does the Times continue to lump artists under the heading of romantics regarding the harbor? (Story, Thursday, June 5)?
Anyone who knows Peter Anastas or who has read "Broken Trip" would know that he is a hard-nosed realist and gritty to the core as well as a voice for the working man. Anyone who knows Henrri Ferrini would never paint him as romantic in an artistic sense, either. They both were calling for sensible pragmatic solutions to the Inner Harbor and whatever future development would take place. Hardly a romantic notion.
Even the developer, Mr. Hayes, spoke up and said we need tight architectural review in this town not to spoil the gem we have. That such rules have made him as much money as not having them.
Having aesthetic concerns is not fluff. It actually contributes to more economic value for property owners and a synergyistic effect for the community as a whole. No one is calling for a return to the days of impressionistic painting of a waterfront that is long gone by.
Artists and even photographers like me value the look and feel of Gloucester for the organic and original look and feel of the place. America already has a Newport, Marblehead and Newburyport — we can do much better than remodeling ourselves like Monterrey.
Our fishing isn't quite dead yet, the stocks are on a very regulated rebuilding plan which should yield sustainable harvests by 2014. We owe it to ourselves to move slowly until then. The economy of the city no longer revolves entirely around the waterfront, however the fisheries are still the highest economic yield industry we could ever have on the waterfront.
We need forward thinking. Gloucester could have mussel and mollusk farming, biotech firms and other industries which could contribute synergy to existing businesses.
Change is inevitabe but it should be in a direction that keeps the nature of place intact. That is not a romantic notion but it would be a sound business decision.
Businesses all have a niche — Gloucester's niche is that it is a real place, that is what we have to offer and it is of real value. Movie companies wouldn't want to film here so often if it were not so.
We are also the only viable industrial port on the upper East Coast poised for 2014. Boats from Maine, New Hampshire and even Rhode Island are tied to the ice company. Take a look around the harbor and you will see that we are a regional port now.
The harbor buisnesses do need more options for income and the infrastructure needs improvements. There has to be some give and take on letting them move forward. We should be very careful, though, as we will never be able to put back a rezoning once the new is constructed.
Calling for a conservative approach is not romantic — merely an old Yankee value and practical approach.
ERNEST MORIN
Gloucester
