About APPLE

About APPLE

APPLE, the Association to Promote and Protect the Lubec Environment, was formed in 2005 by resident Ruta Jordans to strengthen and foster environmentally sound tourism and economic development in the Lubec area. The “environment” in our name refers to Lubec’s historical, cultural, ecological, and economic qualities and influences - all the ingredients that make Lubec so special.  Thanks to our founder's dedicated work, APPLE is a registered nonprofit corporation in the state of Maine, with 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS.

In 2008 Judith M Ashley and Howard B. Reed entrusted APPLE with their comprehensively designed website VisitLubecMaine.com.  Following that, Ruta, Shelia Huckins and Melissa Lee, APPLE’s visionaries  enlarged the information base to all tourism-related businesses and activities in Lubec, charging a minimal fee for listings, and expanding it to include tourism-related businesses in the nearby towns of Cutler, Edmunds, Pembroke, Trescott and Whiting, and the Canadian Island of Campobello.

APPLE spearheaded and continues to support a Lubec-wide Coastal Cleanup, participating in the Maine Coast Week and the international Ocean Conservancy’s data collection.  After better than eight years of documenting each piece of debris picked up on our beaches we realized that the largest category of coastal debris was single use plastic.  In 2015 APPLE launched the “Plastic Free Lubec” initiative designing and promoting reusable canvas shopping bags.  While in mid-2021, single use plastic bags were effectively “banned”.  APPLE continues to promote the use of reusable fabric shopping bags, now with our new design featuring the APPLE logo.  APPLE also continues to work with the fishing community to eliminate or at least reduce the amount of fishing debris that litters our ocean and beaches.  Businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Lubec area are joining the effort to keep Lubec and our ocean free of plastic pollution.

In 2021 APPLE designed a Tri-fold brochure featuring the restaurants and shops along Johnson and Water Streets. The brochure was developed with passengers disembarking from the Eastport-Lubec Ferry in mind, but has been in high demand for the merchants throughout the business district. Also in 2021 we designed a “Rack Card” promoting Lubec and featuring our VisitLubeMaine.com website. A generous grant through the Maine Community Foundation made this project possible. The card has now been distributed to all of the Maine Tourist Information Centers throughout the state through our partnership with Maine Tourist Association.

 

APPLE Board of Directors:

John D. Rule, First Ringmaster; Gale White, Second Ringmaster and Business Liaison; Denise Rule, Bean Counter; Catherine Mettey, Webmaster and APPLE Historian; Chuck Kniffen, Wordsmith and First Plastic Free Ocean Warden; Sara McConnell, First Community Liaison and Lubec Historian; Joseph Gough, Campobello Liaison and First Canadian Plastic Free Ocean Warden.

We are grateful to the following organizations and Individuals for their support:

• DownEast Acadia Regional Tourism (DART)
• Maine Tourism Association
• Maine Community Foundation
• Deborah Bailey of Barnstormer Design Group for her web design, updates and support of the ongoing viability of VisitLubecMaine.com.
• All of the past and current Board members for their contributions of time, energy, talents and patience as we rebuild and strengthen APPLE.

.

Interested in joining us in the protection and promotion of the Lubec area?  We'd love to hear from you ... please contact us at APPLE@visitlubecmaine.com .