Nov. 5, 2013 Elections: Municipal and state referendums, ordinance changes, candidates
Voters go to the polls Nov. 5 to consider five statewide ballot questions, and various individual municipal warrant articles. Following are election previews and recent issue stories for Knox and Waldo counties, as well as a rundown of the bond issues voters across the state are being asked to decide.
View a list of polling places and town contacts here: Knox County, Waldo County
As polls close election night, results will be posted on PenBayPilot.com as they are reported for Knox and Waldo counties. Stay tuned.
RSU 20 board OKs speedy review of withdrawal plans
BELFAST - School’s out in RSU 20, but advocates from six towns seeking to withdraw from the district are making a final push to get their agreements approved by district and state officials.
Attorney Kristin Collins, who represents municipal withdrawal committees in Belfast and Northport, asked the RSU 20 board on Tuesday to expedite process for approving withdrawal agreements for six towns that have them ready, or nearly ready, for review.… Read more
Deed transfers, Knox County
ROCKLAND — The following deed transfers were recorded at the Knox County Registry of Deeds June 9-23.
Appleton
Donald W. Keene Sr. EST to Anthony T. Prest to Patricia Chapman.
Anthony T. Prest to Patricia Chapman.
Camden
William P. Roesing to Robert Wilson.
Susan C. Singer to VSMH Corp.
William A. Pettee to William A. Petty TR.
William Marshall to Shelby Marshall.
Hazel Garofoli to Russell E. Williams.… Read more
Feds to investigate alleged pollution at Searsport beach
SEARSPORT - Federal authorities have initiated an investigation into potentially hazardous conditions along the coastline at Kidder Point. The cove just east of Sears Island has been the focus of environmental advocacy group Friends of Penobscot Bay who have pushed for a cleanup of residual pollutants from the waterfront property currently owned by GAC Chemical.
FoPB organizer Ron Huber notified The Penobscot Bay Pilot late last week that the U.S. Coast Guard had opened an… Read more
Google Maps’ ‘time machine’ vs. Belfast
In the early 2000s I worked for an Internet startup that owned a massive database of photos showing street-level views of traffic intersections in and around New York City.
The images were marketed to auto insurance companies for the convenience of claims adjusters. A good number of the photo were ones that I took, traveling on foot, block by block, through neighborhoods in the outer boroughs and later a… Read more
Residents of Belfast’s Seaview Terrace want out of proposed health care district
BELFAST - In a city filled with ornate old homes, many of which have been restored in recent years, Seaview Terrace has become an unlikely battleground for preserving the historic character of a street.
Built in the early 1960s for a subdivision, the road originally ran from Northport Avenue to Congress Street but was almost immediately split by the Route 1 bypass, creating the accidental cul-de-sac on the east side known today as Seaview Terrace. The initial development was… Read more
Troy grandmother to kayak from Maine to Guatemala
BELFAST - On Monday afternoon Deborah Walters parked at the west end of the Armistice Bridge and unloaded a modestly-sized sea kayak. Her husband Chris Percival wheeled it down to the pier at Front Street Shipyard, along with what appeared to be enough gear to fill three or four kayaks.
In a little less than a month, Walters is planning to embark on a solo trip from Maine to Guatemala. During the 2,500 mile journey, she hopes to raise money for, and draw attention to the work of… Read more
Windjammers fall to Freeport in lacrosse semifinals
FREEPORT — All good things must come to an end. That saying remains true, especially when discussing this season for the Camden Hills boys varsity lacrosse program, which dropped a heart-breaking 13-12 match to Freeport in the regional semifinals June 14.
“Camden seemed to be the dominant force overall, despite what the scoreboard said,” said coach Mark Hannibal.
The last time these two programs squared off, it was a rainy game and saw the Freeport Falcons squeaking out a win in… Read more
Belfast’s ode to ‘Happy’: Watch it here!
BELFAST — More than 200 people visited Colonial Theatre Friday, June 13, to watch friends, family, and sometimes themselves, dance in Belfast's ode to the popular Pharrell Williams' song, Happy.
On Monday afternoon, the official short version of the video was released and you can see it here: … Read more
‘Future’ of former Belfast high school up for grabs
BELFAST - A group of 25 people met at the former Crosby School on Wednesday under the general premise of discussing the future of the building. The event was organized by representatives of the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped, the current owner and most recent user of the building.
The status of the former Belfast high school has been vague during the past year. Signs went up about six months ago advertising the building as “available,” but the only other piece of… Read more
Uke enthusiasts put on seaside concert in Belfast
BELFAST — The First Annual Ukulele Picnic attracted crowds to Steamboat Landing Saturday June 7. Smiling faces young and old gathered to watch musicians demonstrate their love of the ukulele.
Knox County divorces
ROCKLAND — The following divorces were recently granted in Knox County Superior Court.
David L. Trask, of Warren, and Audrey Trask, of Bucksport, were married Feb. 1, 2013, in Bucksport and divorced April 30.
Kathleen Sheets, of Rockland, and Addam L. Sheets, of Rockland, were married July 6, 2013, in Washington and divorced April 30.
Jossilyn M. Ulvila, of Rockland, and Jesse R. Ulvila, of Rockland, were married May 25, 2010, in Rockland and divorced March 26.
Elections 2014: Waldo County primary results
Video: Snapping turtles lay eggs in Belfast
BELFAST - Disturbances in the narrow dirt strip between Miller Street and Kirby Lake (a.k.a. The Muck) suggested that around a half-dozen turtles recently laid eggs there. In fact, on Tuesday morning, several were still conspicuously finishing up. They faced out toward the road, flanked by orange traffic cones put out by some good samaritan to alert drivers who passed in a steady stream just a few feet away.
The video here shows the last turtle leaving her eggs and slipping off into… Read more
Mount View graduation: Military service, a little bit zen, takes center stage
THORNDIKE - A list of “future plans” for Mount View High School’s Class of 2014 included in Saturday’s graduation ceremony program showed a wide range of interests, from unspecified employment and college to specialized training like horse farrier school and EMT training. The six graduates, who listed military service were recognized individually by Principal Cheri Towle, who introduced them a quotation describing America as “Land of the free, because of the brave.”
Class valedictorian… Read more
Two dead, three injured in Stockton Springs crash
STOCKTON SPRINGS - A head-on collision Sunday afternoon has left two people dead and three injured.
According to a statement from the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, a green Dodge Intrepid driven by Denise Shuck of Ohio crossed the centerline of Route 1 striking a black Dodge van driven by Sarah Thompson of Morrill and carrying three passengers.
Shuck was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thompson and all three of her passengers were transported by ambulance to… Read more
Eva Murray: On a sunny Saturday, when the steel band came to Matinicus
On a warm and sunny Saturday evening, surrounded by a harbor calm as a millpond — so calm, in fact, that I overheard somebody observe how the boats weren't even all pointing in the same direction — we came together and loved this place and made merry and found ourselves grateful for the noise of metal.
After a day's labor, whether loading lobster traps or struggling in a cellar with a flood-ruined furnace, and before the onslaught of mosquitoes or unfamiliar faces, 50 or 75 of this… Read more
Waldo County Sheriff’s Office pursues funding for domestic violence detective
BELFAST — The Waldo County Sheriff's Department submitted a grant application June 5 that, if approved, would allow for a dedicated domestic violence detective in Waldo County.
The Domestic Violence Task Force was formed a year ago, although it is not a new organization. More than a decade ago, Waldo County had both the task force, and a detective dedicated to investigating domestic violence cases in Waldo County, said the sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jeff Trafton. When the funds for the… Read more
Rockport-built clipper ship coming to Belfast
BELFAST - Privateer Lynx, a replica of an 1812 Baltimore Clipper ship, will be spending most of the month of July in Belfast. The City Council rolled out the welcome mat on Tuesday, agreeing to waive dock fees for the nonprofit Lynx Educational Foundation during the ship’s three-week stay.
Captain Andrew Peterson made the request on… Read more
Camden dedicates its 2014 Town Report to Ragged Mountain Redevelopment Committee
CAMDEN — Town reports are usually annually dedicated to an individual in the community who has long served or helped accomplish one or more great feats. This year, Camden selected a group of individuals, the Ragged Mountain Redevelopment Committee, to dedicate its 2014 Town Report to, including original committee members Rick Knowlton (co-chairman), Bob Gordon (co-chairman), Don Gross, Frank Morong, Molly Mulhern, John Scholz, Mort Strom, Jeff Kuller and Beth Ward.
The Camden Select… Read more
Watershed School students nearly ready to debut Seabright Dam remote monitoring project
CAMDEN — Watershed School students in this year's engineering class made a presentation to the Camden Select Board Tuesday night, updating the board on the work they have been doing to facilitate data collection and remote monitoring of a variety of elements at the Seabright Dam on Mill Street.
The Seabright Dam Hydroelectric Facility was bought by Joe Sawyer in 1984, and has been generating electricity since 1987. An engineer and inventor, Sawyer nearly completely rebuilt the dam and… Read more
In Belfast: Small boat, big lift
BELFAST - Much has been said about the capacity of the two travel lifts at Front Street Shipyard. The smaller, 160-ton hoist was heralded as the largest of its kind north of Newport, Rhode Island, when the company put it into service in 2011. Today it is dwarfed by a 480-ton lift that has brought ashore a number of 100-plus-foot mega yachts and heavy commercial boats.
But the lifts plenty of more modestly-sized boats — the ones Shipyard President JB Turner has called the “bread and… Read more
RSU 20 budget sails through six-town public meeting
BELFAST - “A clean budget.”
That was how Regional School Unit 20 Superintendent Brian Carpenter described draft 2014-15 figures presented to voters Thursday night at the district’s annual public budget meeting. The modest crowd on hand raised several questions but made no changes to the $35.6 million bottom line suggesting many agreed.
The budget approved on… Read more
EPA awards $400,000 to environmental cleanup projects in Belfast
BELFAST - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that Maine will receive $3.8 million in grant funding for environmental assessment and cleanup projects, through the agency’s Brownfields Program.
Among 11 recipients in the state, two are located in Belfast.
The city will receive up to $200,000 for environmental cleanup at 45 Front Street, a former Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad property last used by the… Read more
Warden Service recovers body of missing Megunticook Lake rower
CAMDEN — At 8:34 p.m., May 27, Maine warden divers recovered the body of James B. Wescott, 71, of Belfast, from Megunticook Lake in Camden.
The Maine Warden Service said in a news release that: “At approximately 8 this morning, Wescott was operating a single-person sculling boat with his friend Jeff Foltz, from Camden. Foltz was operating a second boat and witnessed… Read more
Wreaths, taps and patriotic music herald Memorial Day in Camden
CAMDEN — The town of the Camden was the first of many stops for those marching in Memorial Day parades around the Midcoast Monday, beginning with a brief service at the public landing before winding through downtown with stops at the village green, Harbor Park and Mt. View Cemetery.
American Legion Post Adjutant Ray Lewis led the service at the public landing, which included prayers from the Rev. Richard Malo of St. Brendan the Navigator Parish in Camden, words from town historian… Read more
Midcoast firefighters respond to challenges, take the plunge
It began with a series of challenges amongst firefighters in Hancock County, which eventually spread south to the Midcoast. Take a polar plunge within 24 hours of being “called out” by the person who is about to jump in the water, or donate $100 to a firefighter charity of one’s choice.
The first to be called out locally was Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley. He was called out May 20 by Ellsworth firefighter Jake Underhill.
On May 21, Farley donned shorts and sandals and jumped off… Read more
A denser downtown: Belfast to begin hearings on citywide zoning changes
BELFAST - In the future, smaller lot sizes and backlot flexibility could allow more houses to spring up in the dense residential areas of the city located within the bypass. Setback rules could come to more accurately reflect existing conditions, and a handful of the city’s white elephant properties could be considered for more flexible contract rezoning agreements.
In broad strokes, these are some of the recommendations that will be up for discussion in June and July when city… Read more
Belfast Council approves fee hike for municipal dock
BELFAST - After sending the advisory Harbor Committee back to the drawing board earlier this month, the City Council on Tuesday approved a new fee schedule for slips at Thompson’s Wharf pier. The facility is slated to be rebuilt in the coming months in a new configuration that will roughly double the current capacity.
A catch-all rate of $75 per foot recommended by the committee for recreational and non-charter commercial boats replaces a variable scale that Harbor Master Katherine… Read more
Man dies in Stockton Springs three-vehicle accident
STOCKTON SPRINGS - A 79-year old man died in a crash Monday afternoon on Route 1 that involved three vehicles.
Lt. Aaron Hayden of Maine State Police said Tuesday that the collision that killed Philip Grindle followed a rear end collision between two other vehicles.
A Toyota Corolla driven by Marcia Evans was traveling north on Route 1 at around 3:40 p.m., Hayden said, when the driver slowed to turn onto Muskrat Farm Road and was rear ended by a Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV driven… Read more
On the beat with the Rockport Police Sgt. Travis Ford
Sergeant Travis Ford works for the Rockport Police Department. He has been a sergeant for six years and a patrol officer for the Rockport PD for 15 years. Penbaypilot.com rode with him on a rainy Saturday, May 17, covering most of the Rockport area.
PBP: What’s it like being a police officer for Rockport?
“You think you’re in a small town and you’re just going to see small problems, little things that go on throughout your day, but you never know what’s going to… Read more