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Linda Nelson is a freelance writer and consultant who serves as Stonington’s economic development director. The opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect any position of the town of Stonington.
Twenty years ago the short film “Tire Tracks” was released in Stonington to local and regional acclaim. “Tire Tracks” captures without judgment the voices of those who delight in the local, often rural, practice of “burning rubber,” i.e., using the tools at their disposal to leave their marks on the world.
The film was a response to public complaints by new downtown Stonington residents of noise and disturbances in our hard-working commercial fishing village. It is a cultural response to gentrification: the transition of property ownership, local culture and decision making to those with enhanced resources brought in from other places, increasing property values and taxes and pricing out working, lower-income residents.
It was created by first-time Stonington filmmaker John Steed as the first in a series produced by the public digital media studio at Stonington’s Opera House Arts (OHA). As OHA’s founding executive director/producer, I remain proud to have commissioned, participated in the making of, and presented this film.
The project remains important to coastal Maine communities as it gives us an opportunity to gather, reflect on, and discuss the impacts of the changes we are experiencing. Continuing to financially push our fishermen and working people away from the shore doesn’t serve our communities well.
Are there actions rural communities can take to stem the losses of our commercial fishing communities to “destination housing” and too-short seasonal tourism? What are the policies and investments we need to make to sustain working waterfronts and year-round workers and businesses? Do we continue to allow “market forces” their own agency without balancing them against the common needs of whole communities, and especially those most in need?
In the aftermath of 9/11 just as after the pandemic, beautiful rural places experienced a surge of urban migration. Current influxes are often spurred by climate changes. Maine can look pretty good in the face of severe wildfires, floods, or extreme temperatures.
From 2001 to 2006, I was a fairly new resident here myself, having moved from the density and diversity of New York City to restore the Stonington Opera House. I was delighted by the young people hanging out downtown on the piers, creating the noise and trouble groups of young people make, including burning their tires going up the hill past the theater — in more than one instance causing us to scramble to ensure our stage lighting had not caught fire.
Others around us were less delighted and didn’t hesitate to make their opinions known, calling for the “relocation” of local young people from downtown.
As we developed “Tire Tracks,” we learned it is not only young people who enjoy the art, practice, and opportunity of using vehicles to leave their marks on the world, just as it’s not only young people who like to gather noisily in downtowns.
This film gives visibility, voice, and pride to ways of living that “better resourced” Americans often seek to make invisible and erase. One can understand accusations of elitism.
Working to balance economic trends is challenging thanks to the unseen hand of market forces which makes many changes feel like inevitable not chosen.
Most of us want increased investment, prosperity, safety and opportunity in our communities. We strive for the tide that lifts all boats.
How do we achieve this equitable prosperity, one that doesn’t continue to drive up property values and rents and displace our generational, lower-income residents?
This process is further complicated by those relocating to rural, less developed areas who too often believe that success, wealth and education in and from those other places makes us “right.” We arrive with confidence and credentials, even when our public positions might only represent prioritizations of self interest.
Our communities need and want new residents’ engagement and resources. We are grateful for and fond of those who listen, learn and understand the need for investment in year-round housing, business development, education and more.
Yet to date these investments have neither been proportional nor enough.
Please join me in using your privilege to respect and sustain the local workforce: learn about local culture, volunteer, and make significant and financial investments that move beyond the impact of the usual $100 checks to 20 different nonprofits. To lift all Maine boats, we need all hands strongly on deck.
Long live “Tire Tracks” and its stars, the hard-working, energetic, loud and smelly world of fishermen and their trucks. Let’s use its 20th anniversary to shape change together.