We’re proud of our homegrown Internet service, but with the need for even more speed and investment, we need the cooperation of local, state and federal governments, as well as that of FairPoint, which will finally offer Internet on the island.

The tension between communities seeking to keep their waterfronts economically viable and the residents who want to preserve their views is one that is happening all over the world, say national development experts. “I think that’s an inherent tension that won’t ever go away,” said Jon Golinger, a San Francisco-based attorney and waterfront advocate.

To call this an industry would be a stretch, but they are certainly a group of businesses with the potential to become an industry. What would the industrial scale look like? Well, there will be choices.

Cities and towns in Maine are making decisions each day that improve their economic health or, unfortunately, can make things harder for community members, businesses and taxpayers. The Community Institute, a program of the Friends of Midcoast Maine, offers its fourth workshop on such matters, Community Economics, on Thursday, Oct. 22 at The Daniel in Brunswick.

It took a while to accomplish the project. But as of July 31, the Edgecomb Community Solar Farm has been up and running, a model for what appears to be a wave of community farms now in the works. This is the first member-owned solar farm in the state.

Paul Greenberg is the author of American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood and Four Fish: The Future of Our Last Wild Food. A lifelong fisherman, Greenberg has written for The New York Times, National Geographic and GQ, among other publications.

It has been a good summer on the coast of Maine, and for those who like to learn, it can be a place where community members are happy to become teachers, and in the process they lend depth to our understanding of the debates about who we are becoming.

Early in 2014, Maine Coast Heritage Trust facilitated a discussion with possible stakeholders—including academics, boating interests, local historical societies, and artisans—for individual or shared uses. Welles also contacted the National Park Service, several philanthropists, and others who might be interested in investing in waterfront access.

Kate McAleer makes sure Bixby Bars remain GMO free, vegan, gluten free and are made with chocolate that is ethically sourced.