European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Maine Island s population Down to 51searching fora few goo residents Harbor at the tithing Village of Frt Newbore on outer Lang of tend tvs Multi from Tim new York times an Blaszczuk spent the be her part at the last year trying to dispel the notion that the on an Island of the coast of Mains is idyllic it s not Hal he thinks living in Frencht Oro on outer Long Island 7vi Miles from the Mainland is anything less than glorious. It s just that he wants Peop s to be realistic for Wlaszczuk is not e travel Egol trying to Book hours to Frenchboro. He is looking Lor permanent residents. The population of the quaint fishing Village has been dwindling since 1910, when 197 people lived Here. The two world wars showed soldiers there was Moe to life than isolation and Fishma Lor lobster and Many chose to live elsewhere. Now Deer outnumber permanent residents at last count there were 51 residents As Well As another 50 who come and go during the summer. Ana More than halt the population is older than 60. If there was one thing that made everybody is up and look it was what was happening to other islands they were becoming summer colonies Blaszczuk said and residents most of whom can Trace heir roots to Israel Lunt who bought half of the Island from a land Speculator in he Early 1800s, certainly did not want that. They be lived Here said Blaszczuk who came to the Island six years ago irom Stamford Conn. They re proud of the place living Here is different than living in new York City if you Mova Here your comm Mon is a Little More Han just a resident. You re part of a Community. If you re a summer Colony you lose your identity you lose your  so the residents devised a plan to lure people to the Island they persuaded Margaret Dulany the daughter of David Rockefeller to give them 43 acres of the 1,000 undeveloped acres she owns Here. A private corporation was set up to run the program arid a Federal Grant was secured to pay Lor roads septic tanks and Wells Lor 10 v5-acre lots the Frenchboro future development corp has. Iat decided How much to charge for the jobs. But talk has ranged Tram giving i hem away to charging up to $10.000 apiece Well below the Market Price Lor coastal land because a federa Grant is being used is of 1he 10 lots will be made available to Low o moderate income residents Lew income does t mean welfare said Blaszczuk pointing out that Many current residents already fall into that income Range. Those interested in applying Tor the program must Complete a 10-Page application Fiat bl352ct describes As similar to a Federal housing administration loan application they also must answer three essay questions dealing with Why they want to move to Frenchboro How they will support themselves and what skills and abilities they will bring to the Island. The corporation is not asking for a Promise to say on Hie Island for a certain length of i me. It is asking Only Inal new residents give the corporation the right to buy the land Back if they choose to leave in an Effort to avoid speculation when word of Frenchboro a homesteading plan was disclosed about three years ago 200 people Drolc to express interest. The own sent them tellers describing life on the Island and asked that they write Back if they were still interested fifty one wrote Back the group includes the owner of a Basket making business a furniture maker a writer of children s books and an inventor. The plan was delayed until the Federal financing was obtained in 1886. Applications will be mailed in mid. January with islanders hoping to have at least three new families settled in by next fall. They Hope to add new families each year until 1991. Blaszczuk is Quick o Point out the negatives of Island my. Frenchboro is indisputably isolated. A ferry comes twice weekly stopping for Only 20 minutes. That Means even the smallest chores like grocery shopping Aie two Day a lairs Wilh residents spending the nigh in a Molet on the Mainland there Are no stores save a summer convenience s lore no inns hotels movie Heaters or restaurants. In summer Church services Are held weekly at the Frenchboro congregational Church bul for the rest of the year services Are held once a month when the Sunbeam a boat operated by the mame seacoast missionary society bongs a minister to town there Are no doctors although there is e town ambulance. The Only emergency transportation to the Mainland is a lobs or boat All but iwo residents Are lobster men children go to school in a two room schoolhouse that also houses Lown records for High school Island students Musl go to the Mainland boarding with families there during the week the arrival of the mail some time before 1  six Days a week is a Community event. You can blow an hour going for the  Sard firs selectman Tina lung who came to live on the Island in 1982 when she married Oan Lunt. A lobs Lerman whose family history dates Back to Israel Lunt Between 12 30 and 12-45. Everybody s lined up at the Post office which is realty two rooms in somebody s House. " a daily newspaper from the Mainland comes by mail and Telephone service available to the Mainland Only since 1982, is by microwave. Elec Lucily from the Mainland has been in place since the late 1950s. And because of the difficulties of transportation almost everything costs More. A House hat would Cost $35,000 to build on the Mainland would Cost $50,000 in Frenchboro. A shortcomings aside Frenchboro remains a Scenic wonder. Steep lir and Spruce Laden tolls slope Down to f a Horseshoe shaped Harbor wooden docks jut out info the Waler and Are almost obscured by the pile of \ lobster traps. In Early morning and late afternoon end w foul weather lobster boats Are parked alongside More than 2,000 acres of the 25,000-acre Island one of Maine s largest Are undeveloped dotted Only with footpaths. Cadillac Mountain and others on mount desert Island near bar Harbor dominate the scene j across the Bay. And there is virtually no crime the last incident. Occurred about three years ago when Soma visitors took a summer resident s car for a Joyride around the Island. Eight years ago a woman s Coal was stolen j some of the letters about the land plan Are so sad Lunt said. They say they want to move because they re so tired of bringing their children up in a bad environment. One wrote and said there was a murder f next door and they wanted out this is a Prelly secure1 place to live i Don t Ever lock my  "1 Don t have a lock on my door added Blaszczuk. Lob Niamon Dart hint ont to no major Chat not Page 14 the stars and stripes