South Berwick resident Gretchen Straub has been thinking about the impact of businesses on property taxes and submitted this editorial:

I was thinking about how getting new businesses in town might affect the tax base so I did some research.  It shows that economic development should not be equated with tax relief at all.

The diagram shows why this is so. South Berwick’s taxable property base is roughly 640 Million dollars. That is over half a Billion dollars.  Billions are difficult to visualize, so this graphic puts the magnitude in perspective.  (more…)

South Berwick has begun a community conversation about economic development. (See earlier article about this initiative.) To stimulate thinking, knowledge, and ideas the 236 diner will be offering information and links to a variety of research, reports, and case studies about economic development. This is the first in that series.

Quality of Place and Job Growth: A New and Needed Maine Investment Strategy, a report by the Governor’s Council on Maine’s Quality of Place was released in May. The Council was appointed by Governor Baldacci in 2007 in response to the Brookings Institution study: Charting Maine’s Future: An Action Plan for Promoting Sustainable Prosperity and Quality Place that recommended a three-fold strategy for Maine’s sustainable prosperity: 1) investing in product and service innovation, 2) streamlining government at all levels, and 3) revitalizing our towns and cities while protecting our rural landscapes.

The Council’s report makes the case for protecting and promoting our quality of place as a way to build Maine’s economic prosperity for the future.  The report’s recommendations arise from the changing Maine economy. In the past, Maine’s economy was tied to resource extraction and the use of natural resources as inputs for manufacturing. Now Maine’s economy focuses more on services, from fast food jobs to highly skilled service jobs like computer programming and design. Today’s manufacturing jobs in Maine, whether in lumber, paper, boats, or biomedicine, require much greater worker skills so it means that Maine is in worldwide competition for people who can create and sustain this 21st century economic development.

In this report, the Council asserts that Maine’s chief economic asset in this competition is (more…)

The Economic Development Committee is launching an initiative that will allow residents to weigh in on the future of economic development in South Berwick.  A process to get citizen input will help shape recommendations for economic development proposals for the town to pursue.  The process will be led by Planning Decisions, a southern Maine based planning consultancy, which has led similar dialogues in other Maine towns.

This effort is a breath of fresh air for South Berwick.  Citizens will be involved from the earliest stages of planning,  dialogue will allow multiple alternatives to be explored, and we will have the opportunity to come to consensus on economic development initiatives that will have broad support.  Kudos to Interim Town Manager Roberta Orsini, the Economic Development Committee, and the Town Council for taking this forward thinking step toward moving South Berwick forward.

Town leaders are doing their part, now it’s time for us citizens to do our part.  Too often in the past the dialogue between Town government and citizens and among citizens has been marked by unwillingness to listen, defending of positions at all cost, and divisive tactics.  This kind of destructive politics has resulted in failed initiatives, bad feelings, and a lot of wasted time, effort and money that none of us have to spare.  This time we can choose to do it differently so we have a chance to move ahead as a community. Will we be open minded and willing to hear all the alternatives?  Will we be willing to imagine the best for South Berwick?  Will we be open to new ideas?  Will we be willing to work together to come to a consensus about how to move ahead?  It’s our choice.

–Molly Colman

Read the Foster’s Daily Democrat article about the economic development discussions:
Planning firm to facilitate development discussions in South Berwick
The town’s Economic Development Committee on Monday signed a contract with a southern Maine-based planning firm to facilitate a grassroots economic development research initiative, marking a shift in the way the economic development process has been handled in recent…

South Berwick resident Tony Lemmo had an idea that it would be good for local entrepreneurs and business owners to have a way to meet each other.  A year ago, as entrepreneurs are likely to do,  he decided to just make it happen.  So for the last year he has been hosting monthly networking meetings at various local businesses where entrepreneurs and business owners have come together to socialize, enjoy refreshments, and make the kind of connections that can be invaluable for growing a business.

On Tuesday, June 24 South Berwick Networking celebrated its one year anniversary with a gathering hosted by the Links at Outlook Golf Course.   In the beautiful setting of the Red Barn a crowd enjoyed great food and drink, prize raffles, learning about local businesses, and getting to know other local business people.

Tony Lemmo says he had no idea what would happen when he hosted the first meeting a year ago in the Ocean National Bank parking lot.  He has been pleased with the turnout for meetings with more people being added to the list each month.  He encourages local business people who would like to be added to the South Berwick Networking email list to contact him at  lemmo@verizon.net

Deb Knowlton has been promoted to Lead Designer & Production Manager for The Little Hat Company.

Just shy of her first anniversary of working with The Little Hat Company, Deb Knowlton South Berwick resident of twenty years was named Lead Designer & Production Manager. Deb began stitching for The Little Hat Company during the spring of 2007. She had first contacted Jennifer Houghton in January about sewing for the new company. The Little Hat Company was just not big enough yet to support an in house production team. Since then, demand for the made in Maine Stroller and Loope Lids has grown enough to support a team of 6 part-time stitchers. Deb is proud of her new recent designs that will launch on The Little Hat Company’s website next month: The Strawberry Patch Lid & My New Little Preemie Lid.

Deb recently left her full time position in order to pursue her life long dream of sewing for a living. The demand for Stroller Lids across the country has grown to a point that it has become her main focus outside of her family. In addition to coming up with new ideas for Lids, Deb heads up the production team in South Berwick. She works with women who have a wealth of sewing experience as well as first timers who have been welcomed to the team. The team is currently made up of all stay at home moms. It was a great opportunity for the moms to reenter the workplace while still being able to put their family’s schedules and needs first.
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Over the last few years in South Berwick there has been a tug of war being played out in Council Chambers that has been characterized as a struggle between those who want economic development and those who want to preserve the village and the land. Now this struggle has erupted into calls for resignations and name calling in council chambers, on the streets, and in the comments of this blog. The town manager, all of the town council members, and many residents have all been conveniently slotted into one side or the other so we can all take sides and continue the drama and fireworks that some seem to enjoy so much.

In the last month the rhetoric has risen to inflammatory levels with accusations that those who are in favor of the comprehensive plan are trying to take away property rights and that the effort to get a regional development authority is a scheme that will result in taxation without representation. There have been rumors, insinuations, and allegations of wrongdoing by town councilors and the town manager. Those who speak out at town meetings and other public forums, including this blog, seem to represent the most extreme views. In private, I’ve heard from people with more measured and complex thoughts about the issues that they are reluctant to speak out publicly in the current climate. (more…)

If you were driving through downtown Friday afternoon, you may have noticed a lot of activity in front of Little Hat Company. They were doing a photo shoot for an article for Country Woman, a nationally distributed magazine. They are also set to be featured in Yankee Magazine’s Summer Travel issue. Congratulations to Little Hat entrepreneurs Jen Houghton and Susan Page for launching this local company and steering it toward national success.

Read more about Little Hat Company.

The new windows at 4 Portland St., the new home of South Berwick Yoga look great! It’s amazing how a relatively small improvement can spruce up the look of downtown.

South Berwick Yoga is having an open house on Saturday March 8th 1-4 pm and on Sunday March 9th 1-4pm. You can see their new space and on Saturday from 1-4 pm PB&J unplugged will be performing. They will also have giveaways.

South Berwick Yoga offers yoga classes in a variety of styles including Ashtanga Flow, Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Restorative, Pilates and Yoga for your Core. They also offer children’s classes through ChildLight Yoga. They will be offering Workshops and beginners series each month.

They are at 4 Portland St. in South Berwick. More information can be found at their web site.