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Hometowns Spotligjj by VIRGINIA WRIGHT Ted Panayotoff strides from boulder to boulder on his way to the tidy brick lighthouse sitting at the tip of a mile-lcmg jetty in Rockland, Maine (pop. 7,609). For 104 years, Rockland Breakwater Light has flashed in concert with its sister, Owls Head Light, perched high on Rockland Harbors opposite shore. “You can’t imagine how many people come out here and say, ‘l’ve lived in Rock land all my life; I’m so excited to be able to go inside,”' says Panayotoff’, historian for the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Light, which assumed care of the lighthouse after the , U.S. Coast Guard trans ferred ownership to the city in 1998. § Qg At nighttime and dur- | 1 ing inclement weather, the s O. lighthouses flash warnings s- to pleasure and fishing ves- '‘-t, sels, including the hundreds of lobster boats that ply the icy waters of nearby Penobscot Bay. Lobsters and lighthouses are plentiful along Maine’s 3,478-mile island-dotted coastline, but no DIABETES? 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Rockland is the lobstering hub of CoSiirf* ■W r m-W * ' “ S ter Festival ring—than anywhere else.” Rockland native Richard Whitman, 42, lias been fishing Penobscot Bay as long Knox County, which harvests 20 million pounds of the crusta cean yearly, fully one-third of Maine’s total catch and more than any other place 122 on earth. "y > ‘‘Most of those lobsters end up being •• shipped through Rock land," says Harbormaster Ed Glaser. "And Rockland lands more lobster bait—her —-- ui m ZsSm i Historian Ted Panayotoff at the 1 902 Rockland (Maine) Breakwater Lighthouse. as he can remember. “It’s a way of life," says Whitman, who harvests 20,000 to 25,(X)0 pounds of lobster from August to December. “I get up around 4:30 in die morning and go to early afternoon" checking hundreds of lobster traps. As a member of the Rockland Harbor Commission, Whitman repre sents the city’s 162 commercial fisher men, half of whom drop baited traps onto the sea floor in hopes of hauling up boatloads of valuable lobster. Rockland celebrates its hard-work ing fishermen and the coldwater crus tacean each summer during the Maine Lobster Festival, a rollicking waterfront party where 25,(XX) pounds of lobster are devoured by up to 90,(XX) people. This year's event is scheduled Aug. 2 to 6. A stroll down Main Street any time of year finds restaurants serving lob ster steamed, stewed, baked, casseroled, stuffed into ravioli, and layered with bacon, lettuce and tomato in three-deck er club sandwiches. Fanciful chest-high fiberglass lobsters stand like doormen at restaurant and store entrances. In one art gallery window, 18-carat gold lob ster claw pendants clasp diamonds and pearls. Across the street, a jewelry store sign advertises “The World’s Most Valu able Lobster." Tie 34-pound solid gold crustacean with green tourmaline eyes is modeled after a 4-pounder caught in Rockland in 1999 and bears a price tag of $100,(XX). One of the Northeast’s major fishing ports, Rockland was hit hard by the col lapse of the New England fishery in die 1980 s, but lobstenng helped keep the city afloat. With few cod to eat young lobster, landings actually increased. Rate This Story How did you like this story? Log on vvww.omericonprofrfe.com/rate In the 19905, an expansion of the Farnsworth Art Museum, renowned for its collection of Wyeth family works, ignited a downtown renaissance, attract ing art galleries, restaurants and specialty shops. Long known for its commer cial harbor, Rockland’s reputation now includes art, fine dining and, with last summer’s opening of the Maine Light house Museum, an insightful and com prehensive look at lighthouse history. Boasting a large collection of light house lenses, the museum overlooks Rockland Breakwater and Owls Head lighthouses and is within a half-day’s cruise of nine other beacons along Maine’s coast. Founder Ken Black— whose nickname is “Mr. Light house"—began collecting maritime and lighthouse artifacts after he took command of Rockland’s Coast Guard Station in 1968. Through the years, he’s amassed 750 items, including navigational instruments, buoys and rescue equipment, which are exhibited at the museum. "Ken got the lighthouse preserva tion movement going long before it became fashionable," says Panayotoff, a lighthouse enthusiast who lives in nearby Camden (pop. 5,254). Pleased with Rockland’s revival, local residents are dedicated to preserving and honoring their maritime hentage, which includes a bustling harbor, ferries and fishermen, lobsters and lighthouses. Visit www.therealmaine.com or call (800) 562-2529 for more information on Rockland. Virginia Wright is a freelance writer based m Cumberland. Maine. Page 10 American Profile