Twenty years ago, Rockland, Maine, was a gritty, blue-collar community with a string of waterfront fish processing plants. "Camden by the Sea, Rockland by the Smell" became its unofficial slogan, accentuating the old harbor's coarseness compared to its upscale neighbor. Then one by one, the plants that employed most of Rockland's residents closed. As the fishing industry collapsed, so did the local economy. The community's self-esteem hit bottom, the crime rate escalated and the once-bustling downtown turned barren. Today, that slide seems like ancient history. Residents and city officials are proud of their downtown's renaissance, which sprang from a combination...