Ring around Penobscot Bay June 1st. Why? Because our Two Bays must become One.

The central challenge we face  keeping the Bay safe as a single ecoregion is that Penobscot Bay is the coastal partition of the 'Two Maines', with only limited community connectivity between East Penobscot Bay and West Penobscot Bay.   

On June First, take part in Ring Around The Bay, an amazing shore to shore, bay coast to bay coast event that brings the communities of both Maines together around their common bay, and  lays out the roadmap for organizing the Penobscot Baykeeper.  

Want to help? write us at penbay@justice.com or call us at 207-593-2744

AT ISSUE.
Nature and history have conspired to create "Two Penobscot Bays" each with its own economic & cultural centers and natural resource bases - largely separate of the other.  As a result  East Penobscot Bay and West Penobscot Bay differ environmentally, ecologically, socially and economically from each other:. 

To the west, bay communities connect like pearls on a string along the Route One interstate highway corridor;   East Penobscot Bay hosts a tapestry of small communities linked by webs of  local roads and byways, with Route One only passing by the bay's northeast corner on its way Downeast.
 
While this makes for a certain robustness to the region, there are stark lessons to be learned from the DCP near-disaster, that we ignore at our peril. The fight against Big Tank,  the Sears Island struggles, the successful effort to keep salmon farming out of the bay, and other battles for the environmental quality and scenic character of Penobscot Bay have taught us taht:

1.  Development or pollution in any one part of Penobscot Bay can harm the rest, and 
2.  Every year, more development wannabees large and small come to Penobscot Bay
3. Countering   developers' money and influence requires organized,  sustained People Power.

Otherwise we end up with "Dumb Growth":  projects that damage the ecosystem and/or economy of the bay,  with federal and state officials who rule on them seemingly struck dumb concerning those unpleasant impacts, approving them regardless of community opposition.

Regrettably, in these times we can expect many dumb growth plans to arrive  in or around Penobscot Bay, often with skilled public relations teams and campaign cash. To keep Penobscot Bay America's scenic lobster basket, we must detect and fend off each  dumb growth proposals as it arrives.


WHAT TO DO
We must rethink our existing Two Bays  point of view.   The two bays must become one to fend off the coming threats - for they assuredly will come. Two into One is the purpose and theme of the  Ring Around The Bay on June 1st.  We will use all the means of community connectivity  from runners, drums, mirrors and smoke signals around  from Stonington round to Port Clyde, Sears Island to Vinalhaven, and a marathon 18 hour webinar that documents it all.

HOW TO DO IT   
 In the worldwide lexicon of signalers, two flashes, two smoke puffs, or two drumbeats means PAY ATTENTION!  (Groups of three signals means EMERGENCY )   On June first, that is our message

OUR MESSAGE i two beats, two smoke puffs, two mirror flashes, with those pairs repeated  twice:
calls us all to pay attention: the two Penobscot Bays must become one.


Are you a drummer? dadum -dadum ...5 seconds.....dadum-dadum.........10 sec........ dadum-dadum......five seconds...... dadum-dadum!

A firebuilder?
Smokepuff ..10 sec delay.....smokepuff........20 sec delay..........smokepuff ....10 sec delay..smokepuff

A mirror signaller?  
 Flash - 1 second delay - flash....5 seconds delay .....flash - 1 second delay - flash.

A runner? 
From Islesboro's Turtle Head to Pendleton Point, and from Pendleton Point to Turtle Head,  runners will carry the word the length of this chain of islands connecting upper Penobscot  Bay to outer Penobscot Bay.

Other? The human capacity for communication knows no bounds, Whatever medium you choose, prepare to spread the word around the bay:  Pay Attention to Your Bay!   


We will be on high points and other places that are in line of sight or line of sound of the many reaches of the bay. Aready people on both sides of the mouth of the bay and on Sears Island and at Searsport Shores' beach have committed to their places.   There will be presences everywhere around Penobscot Bay, even aboard one or more of the boats and  ferries plying the bay on June 1st.


THE GRAND FINALE To thunderous applause, this "Attention: one bay!"  message will finally be delivered  to those gathered at  the Unitarian Universalist Church in Belfast, there to examine and celebrate the defeat of Big Gas and look to the future.

Want to take part? Got ideas, mirrors drums horns smoke skills?  Willing to run for miles?

Contact the Friends of Penobscot Bay at penbay@justice.com or call 593-2744.

It's your bay that's under attack. Deal with it.