May 3, 2011 – Forged in independence, laid low by regulatory constraints, America's original fishing port told its story in many voices from many perspectives Tuesday, appealing to one arm of the U.S. Commerce Department for relief to help survive the harm done by another.
"It's like good cop, bad cop," noted Mike Linquata, president of owner of The Gloucester House, where the event was held.
The narrative woven in discouraged stories — by an anthropologist, a drydock repair railway manager, the ice house owner, a lender of last resort, auction house owner and numerous fishermen, among others — was of a fishing community hanging on in "desperation" above a frayed safety net waiting and hoping to be around long enough to reap the rewards just offshore and around the corner from successfully rebuilt stocks.
The determination to persevere has led to the leveraging of assets right down to family homes virtually around the port in an arc of risk, noted state Rep. Ann Margaret Ferrante, Vito Giacalone, who heads the Gloucester Community Preservation Fund, and Brian Tarr, who heads a federally seeded, $1 million revolving loan fund.
Together, they described a system stressed by unpredictable, radical changes in tack by federal fisheries regulators — even to the abandonment of the currency that determines participation in the fishery — with specially connected groups outside of Gloucester getting extra access and equity.
"The killer is regulatory instability," Giacalone noted.
"Yes, we have a disaster, it's a man-made disaster," said Vito Calomo, a retired fishing captain and advisor to Sen. Scott Brown. Sen. John Kerry also sent his fisheries advisor, Amy Kerrigan, to the meeting.
Here's who was part of the group, assigned by the Department of Commerce to evaulate the economic needs of Gloucester, and — later this week and next — five other New England fishing ports,
Team leader Joshua Barnes serves as the department's Economic Development Administration's disaster recovery and resiliency coordinator. Last year, he spent time in the Gulf of Mexico ports responding to the oil spill's economic impacts, and was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard's Commander's Award for Civilian Service. He holds a degree in urban and rural development from James Madison University.
Dick Clime is a Mainer and administers the Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program after 31 years on the water running an oyster farming business.
Randall Gibson works for the Department of Agriculture in rural development, working on an initiative aimed at creating economic vitality in rural communities — which includes Gloucester, notwithstanding its place in the greater Boston market.
Douglas Gutro is a Quincy native and former City Council president who now is with the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is engaged with the city of Gloucester in a legal and regulatory dispute over a mandate to spend $60 million or more on an upgrade of the sewer treatment plant for disputed environmental benefits.
Jeanne A. Hulit is New England regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and has worked for the state of Maine and attended Boston University.
Cedric Kam is an economic development specialist at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, who has worked at length in Connecticut in banking and government after graduating from Dartmouth College and serviign in the Army during the Vietnam War era.
Robert Nelson is district director of the Small Business Administration's Massachusetts District Office, specializing in entrepreneurial efforts coming from a banking background in NewsEngland.
Kristen Sarri, acting director of policy and strategic planning for the Commerce Department, advises Secretary Gary Locke on NOAA and green economy issues, budgeting and policy. Previously, Sarri was a senior staffer on the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and policy advisor for Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Steven G. Smith, is a retired Navy rear admiral and director of the Office of Disaster Planning for the US Small Business Administration, with a broad network of private and public contacts for community recovery from disasters.
Matthew Suchodolski is with EDA's Philadelphia regional office that includes Massachusetts where he is responsible for dfevelopment and maintenance of formal networks to insure sound financial agreements with municipal, regional and non-profit economic development interests. He also worked in New Hampshire and New Jersey economic development positions.
Timothy J. Theberge, a workforce development specialist with the Department of Labor, is a native of Methuen, and fuctions as an expert in the Trad Act, and dislocated workers programs
Mickie Valente heads a Florida based consulting company that focuses on economic development and post disaster redevelopment planning, and has experience with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, following the 2008 floods and ibn Louisiana and Alabama post Deepwater Horizon.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.