“Swanky deli”? Gerish’s was not styled like a swanky deli, not that that would be a bad thing, right? Some of the food offerings might have been considered swanky I suppose, meaning of high and somewhat sophisticated quality, to be enjoyed with assorted options for coffees and [gasp] espresso… but I digress.

Back to the beautiful building originally known as Mama’s Boy:
“New-York-style monstrosity”? I think your eye is jaundiced…

I’ll try to post a link to a photo of the Mama’s Boy building as seen from the waterfront and let readers judge for themselves. Be sure to go down to the Winter Harbor pier on Harbor Road and look back at at the two beautiful, gabled, VINTAGE homes there – the inspiration for the gabled “Mama’s Boy” building that graces the center of Winter Harbor village. Empty, yes, but sdeserving of the label “derelict,” not in my opinion nor those of many people who come to town expressing admiration for the beauty of the building and the way it honors the area architecture. Not a color photo, but this shows the structure of the Mama’s Boy building: http://web.mac.com/stevesoper/iWeb/Maine/Apartment_files/P1140087.jpg

Some of us miss the Navy base, but that’s we don’t disparage the good people who took what could have been a deteriorating dinosaur and made it function as SERC for 21st century needs with a brand new, ATTRACTIVE auditorium hosting captivating events.

Just my opinions.

I didn’t say it was “grabbed from the hands” of its previous owners. I was told by the previous owner that she was assured the home wouldn’t be torn down.It wasn’t a fancy structure by any means, nor was it likely appropriate for a restaurant. Obviously something had to give. Perhaps the original owner misunderstood. There’s a lot open to interpretation, just like the current building–you like it; I don’t.

I loved the old Gerrish’s, and I wish it could have been updated without losing the old soda fountain–that was such a treasure. Perhaps I’m just too nostalgic. I do like Two Sisters, and I hope it succeeds. And I truly hope something goes into the old Mama’s Boy–signs of life in the property could go a long way to improving it’s abandoned look–at least, that’s the way it looked when I was there last week.

Why the negative tone and words about an effort to add to adn complement, without erasing, the eclectic culture of Winter Harbor (fishing culture blended with the wealth of Grindstone Neck)? The Mama’s Boy building is an impressive and beautiful structure, designed very well to blend in with the existing architecture of Winter Harbor. The building it replaced was for sale, it was purchased – it was not grabbed from the hands of 5 generations of owners.

Gerrish’s renovation a couple of years ago – I’m sure necessary for obtaining long overdue – and it was preserved while enhancing the original setting, still warm and folksy with a new edge. Ice cream is still scooped out but penny candy went the way of 30 cents per gallon gasoline.

Winter Harbor is one of the jewels of the coast of Maine but it won’t survive economically if it were allowed to crumble and deteriorate.