Trainer to Propose [Seal Corps* As Adjunct to National Defense
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Trainer To Propose [Seal Corps* As Adjunct To National Defense By JAMES A. MOORE lng their underwater progress District Correspondent pretty hard going. are weaned, which is about two expert will be one of the princi weeks after birth. It takes spe u That’s only part of the story. pal speakers at the night wind ' ROCKPORT-A “Seal Corps' cial water tanks to transport up, along with Dr. Andreas — the aquatic "equivalent to the Goodridge says seals have an un dolphins from place to place, K-9 (Dog) Corps,” is being canny knack of awareness Rechnitzer, president of the ad but seals can ride ip the back joint World Diving Federation; proposed by the trainer of of any diver in the water up to seat of a car. Rockport's famous honorary as much as four miles away, I Dr. George Bond, captain of Sea harbormaster—Andre the seal Andre having proven this point SEA LIONS “sound off” rau labs One, Two and Three; Ed Harry Goodridge, who runs a time and again. cously for no particular rea win Link, Robert Stenuit and tree expert business, but who While dolphins and “sea son and often nip their •Jon Lindbergh; and Stanton is an outstanding scuba diver, lions” (the circus variety of trainers, while harbor seals Waterman, underwater film said Tuesday he will discuss his “trained seal”) have be e n are quiet, and seem really fond maker who a few years ago idea of using seals in defense taught limited tricks, they have of human company, Goodridge made a movie of Andre in work at the world-famous Boa- faults which Andre's ancestry says. ton Sea Rovers Underwater seems to disdain. Neither ani At the Sea Rovers meetings Clinic this weekend, and submit mal can operate in very cold Goodridge will be ta 1 king a treatise on the subject to water, and it takes between mainly on the safety of having an outstanding oceanographic two and three years to train a diving “buddy,” and tell how organization. them. Andre often fills that need. Goodridge, also a shark hunt Harbor seals seem immune to The treatise will delve into er who has figured in many un temperature extremes and they ways in which the seal’s sen derwater re c o v e r i e s, has can start training after they sitivities can be used to de trained seals for eight years — tect “unfriendly” divers who the common so-called “harbor might evade electronic de seal" which he believes is one tection devices; how the seals of the most Intelligent of ma themselves might carry min rine animals. iaturized electronic devices. A little quirk in the1 training In addition to being trained of Andie, who for four years to “disable” divers without in- , has been having the winter run- jury, by a flashing attack on , of-the-harbor, but who doesn’t flippers or other gear, they seem to mind being a summer could Immediately signal their attraction from a floating pen, position so such divers could started Goodridge thinking in be quickly caught. terms of the seal as one means JOODRIDGE will be in"di^ of defense of Important shore- tinguished company Saturday side military installations, at the sessions in the Massachu among other things. setts Institute of Technology ANDRE HAD a habit of “dis and at the John Hancock Build arming” divers with whom he ing Auditorium. would play in the harbor by He will be ninth of 26 speak making a lightning - like sub ers during the daytime ses-/ marine attack and stripping off' slon. the diver's foot-flippers, mak Dr. Jacques Picard of Switzer land, world famous underwater Andre The Seal Renamed To Honorary Rockport Job ROCKPORT — Andre the $19,000 from excise and $3,000 Seal was reappointed honorary from surplus to run the town. The amount is some $4,437 over harbormaster at Monday last year; when some $19,000 night’s town meeting. in excise was used. The famous tiained harbor The SAD 28 budget of seal assists his trainer, Har $263,348 was pased at a prior bormaster Harry Goodridge, meeting. mainly by entertaining Rock One article against which the port visitors all year long. Budget Committee had recom Rockport raised $96,064 at mended, was passed to assign the meeting and voted a take $150 for a survey made of Rockport’s inner harbor. All other budget articles were pased as recommended, including $300 tor the Knox County Regional Planning Commission. A favorable vote was given to have the selectmen to ar range selling of the present fire station when the new town office-fire station is completed. A new truck costing $6,000 will be bought. Half the money will be raised and the other will be from surplus. F. Leroy Hunter was elect ed chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Re-elected to the board was Harvey Simonton. A new member, Arthur C. An drews, was elected to represent West Rockport Village, and named clerk of the board. Rockport has a new town clerk. Mi’s. Joyce Andrews was elected without opposition. Mrs. Helena Kenney chose not to run because of illness. Clara W. Lane was re-elect ed town treasurer. E. Maynard Graffam was re elected director for School Ad ministrative District 28. Russell W. Thurston, the moderator, was he-elected to the Library Committee. The Board of Selectmen re appointed Dudley E. Foley as town manager. LaForest Dou cette was reappointed chief of police. Finally Towed Out To Sea By JAMES A. MOORE one s favor — despite the recent District Correspondent hot weather which certainly cock Point rocks at low tide GLEN COVE — Wearing a didn’t help in preservation — the Donning respirators to minimize respirator against the reek, wind was practically nil. the stench, Goodridge and his Rockport Harbormaster Harry Vrew made a line fast to the The Coast Guard at the time huge tail; led it out to a buoy Goodridge towed Glen Cove’s made it known the while be odoriferous whale to sea Tues in the bay; and waited for high came the problem of iand-own- tide. day. ers once it stopped ashore. But The malodorous mammal — a said it would study the matter The whale, aided by Good- week-long coastal attraction — if it should go back to sea. ridge’s boat, slid into the water once again became subject to in the noon hour and became Meanwhile Rockport Town subject of a two-hour tow to a “notice to mariners’’ from the Manager Dudley Foley, besieged Coast Guard. mid-Penobscot Bay. The harbor by calls on the problem, talked master said he cut the whaie The very dead whale, estimat with Goodridge, the harbormas ed at 40 feet long and weighing loose once, but found it wasn’t ter, who is a master shark in the right current, as the car- perhaps 10 tons, had drifted hunter and also trainer of the around Penobscot Bay for 10 cas started back for the same honorary harbormaster, Andre stretch of coast. days before an extra high tide the seal. deposited it across from Glen Harry took up the tow again, Even Andre couldn’t help out pulling the whale out over three Cove’s pretty little beach onto in this situation — he prefers Babcock’s Point, part of land herring. miles and finally finding the cur owned by the Dragon Cement rent he wanted, which everyone Harry felt that in deeper wa — including the Coast Guard Company of Thomaston. ters sharks would go to work It soon became the object of — hopes will take the whale to on the whale, although it had seat. a swarm of visitors, some who enough blubber to feed a whole sought souvenirs but were school. Chief Eliot Jordan of the turned back by the smell of the So on Tuesday Town Manager Rockland station said a “notice decomposing body of the beast, Dudley Foley told Goodridge to to mariners” would probably be ■which appeared to have been tackle the problem once again. Issued calling attention that the shark-attacked in several places. THIS TIME Harry pulled his big bulk was once again on the ONE THING was in every powerboat up alongside the Bab bounding main. Luiggi Is The Newest Rockport Trained Seal Attraction Harry Goodridge of Russell Avenue, Rockport, is pictured here with his latest catch, Luiggi — a three-week-old seal, captured at Goose Island just outside the Rockport Bay area. Barton Photo Luiggi, the latest attraction in Rock ridge has involved himself with—oth salt water (or the bath tub) about port harbor is a three-week-old hair ers include Basil, who, many will re every half hour—they must of course seal belonging to Harry Goodridge. call, was lost to a shark a few years be fed and have plenty of rest. Luiggi, ago. Then there was Trudy, and of being only three weeks old. is very Luiggi is already an avid fish eater course now, the famous Andre who playful around the household pets at thanks to the care and training al performs for audiences at the Rock the Goodridges. He romps and plays ready given him by his owner. port pier. with the cat and dog which pay him no He will receive special training and Goodridge said constant care and attention. They are quite blase about Mr. Goodridge is in hopes Luiggi will attention must be given these animals some day becime a specalist in his —especially when they are around the such slippery creatures—this being field of tricks.