BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 16, 2026
“We love living in Winterport,” said Lily Calderwood, who chairs the town’s conservation commission. “But there isn’t any public access to the water, or even a place to walk along the water.” Every town along the lower stretch of the Penobscot River has some sort of public access point on the river, be it a boat launch, walking trail, park or nature preserve. Except for Winterport. Over the years, the town has tried different ways of creating public access to the waterfront, said longtime town council member Stephen Cooper. The will is there, he said. “It just hasn’t worked out.” Calderwood, as the conservation commission chair, is spearheading the town’s latest effort to acquire waterfront land.