Portland Public Library Portland Public Library Digital Commons Island Times Newspaper, 2006 Island Times Newspaper, 2002-2013 2-2006 Island Times, Feb-Mar 2006 Mary Lou Wendell David Tyler Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/itn_2006 Recommended Citation Wendell, Mary Lou and Tyler, David, "Island Times, Feb-Mar 2006" (2006). Island Times Newspaper, 2006. 1. https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/itn_2006/1 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Island Times Newspaper, 2002-2013 at Portland Public Library Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Island Times Newspaper, 2006 by an authorized administrator of Portland Public Library Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. , ~ I il FR££ £ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2006 A community newspaper covering the islands ofCasco Bay i . i Education debate sparked ~ duringtalkof secession BY DAVID1YLER chair. That figure Is based on tu· After rnonths of work, the com­ ition costs of $7,205 per student mittee looking into education for and the cost of transportation, he the Peaks Island Independence sald. Cornmiuee last month released The committee also recom­ figures it gathered for \.. · hat it costs mends creating a contingency to educate island students. fund, and contributing $50,000 School personnel expenses !or a year for speclal education and the Peaks Island School for 2005, $50,000 a year ror capital improve· including salaries and benefits, ments into that fund, he said. The were about $509,580 for 2005, ac• committee is still seeking figures cording to figures from the Educa· for some education costs, Langel­ tion Committee. la said. Transportation, operation, utility At a Jan.12 pubtic forum, the Ed· and insurance costs for the school ucation Committee of the Island in 2005 were about $178,136, ac• Independence Committee (!IC) n cording to cornrnlnee figures. talked about its work so far. That These figures arc based on Infor­ forum also smrted a debate in rhe mation from city officials. community about what is possible To send the approximately 50 from an island school run by a hy· secondary school students on pothetical Town of Peaks Island. the island to Portland would cost The Education Committee has about $410,000, based 011 today's been meeting since last April, figures, according to Michael I.an· when the Peaks Island secession gella, the Education Conunittee's please- EDUCATION, poge8 Love stories Peaks Is landers Mike and Vanessa Sylvester were married in Norway, Maine, on Sept. 7, 1996. The story of how their romance began is one of six pieces f eatured iJl t his issue of the ll!land Timel!. Islanders mourn the loss of Photo courrel!y of Vane.Al>a Sylvel>ter SamMcCain My funny Valentine BY DAVID Tvi.ER Peaks Island resident Sam Mc· hair), kind, smart and very funny. ca1n. who died on Feb. 4, loved to I'm sticking with the union tell you union organizing is not all speeches and intrigue, but spend­ Though 1 knew it was uue love go to different churchservices. because he lo1-etl F/im. 1 loved One week McCain went to St. llYVANESSA SYLVESTER ing a lot oflirne In the car trying to Flint! There is nothing like a town Christopher's Catholic Church, The union I worked for In Michi­ find workers and talking to them that snakes around multiple auto the nel<I week, the Brackett Me­ gan trained people to be union or• morial United Methodist Church. ganizers. My future husband was plants, some "ith huge padlocks, To celebrate Valentine's some streaining shifts of auto­ McCain, who was 89 when he one ofthose apprentices. One, who Day tills year. rite Island workers. Trains sc,reech inches 1 didn't have lime to pick up at the Times asked Peaks Island alrpon, and the first time I saw him from back porches, every dinner couples if tlley would tell was through the big glass windows Includes coneys and the blight? A c,,/ebration of the life u.< how tlieyfirst met. These of the w\ion office. His h3lr was all All General Motors fault. Here was of Rev. Samuel Nonnan are the responses. we re· someone I could rant about capl­ ' McCain and a service of long and scraggly and I could see celved. We hope you enjoy even at that dlstance he had an tatisrn in general with (so com­ - thanksgiving will be held them. Wesurcdid. earring and I turned to a co-worker pletely out of vogue, even for labor on 11wrs., Feb. 9, at 3 p.ni organizers, by the mid 90s) Great at St. Cltristopiler'sCh11rch, and sald "what the heck is the AFL­ CIO sending us?" about their lives. So in the many things came out of Flint: Michael Central Avenue, Peaks Is· hours in the car and out organizing Moore, Ben Hamper, the Sit Down lalld. /11 lieu offlou:ers , do­ He and I were soon assigned to The late Sam McCain is pic­ organize low wage Rite Aid work• these brave workers, I discover~d Strike. nations in his memorya,n tha1 Michael was cute (behind the please see VI\Ll!NTINE, page 10 lie made to the Peaks ls· tured with his beloved dog, ers in Flint, Michigan and let me land Health Cemcr. Gioia, in this 2002 l.6/and Tim~.4 file photo. bridge, Mass in 1945. Although Mussel lease denied in proposed ruling died, graduated from the Episco· much of his career was spent as pal Theological School in Cam· plmsesee McCAIN, page 12 8YDAVID1YLER Olson sought a 10-year lease inson were designated · iJuervcn• The state has denied has denied to anchor three mussel floats in ers" by the DMR and have an Offi· a permit for mussel farming off a two-acre ocean section near cial role In the lease process. Both Hope Island, in a proposed deci­ Rogues Island, off the southeast rnen opposed Olson's lease. sion sent in January to those im­ end of Hope Island. Robinson dld not expect the de­ Chebeague negotiates pacted by the lease. His lease request created con­ nial. "I was pleased," he sald. "I was The mussel farming would •un· troversy in the lobstering commu• kind of surprised that it went the reasonably interfere with the lob­ nity, with rnany Chebeague Island way it did." Robinson has been lob· with school district ster fishing in the area; according lobstermen opposing Olson's latest stering on Chebeague since 1968 8YDAV1D'IYI.ER secession. to the proposed decision, issued by proposed site. and fishes 800 traps. He was surprised by 1he decl· One of the biggest challenges for Chebeague would also pay the staff of the state's Department 1f the commissioner agJees with the Chebeague secession effort is Cumberland $1.3 million w!tMn ofMarineResouroes(DMRJ. die proposed decision, and denies sion because Chebeague.lobster- • that agreements have to be worked six months of seoesslon for Che­ All parties concerned with the the lease, Olson's only recourse is men opposed Olson's Bangs Island site, but the DMR granted him that out with two, separate entitles. beag&e's share of the town's out· lease have JO days from when to appeal the decision at Cumber­ Chebeague representatives have standing debt, the oost ofa new ftre they received the decision to make land Superior Court, according to lease anyway, Robinson said. 10 negotiate with officials from the truck and for a parcel of land on the comments, which will then be con­ Costigao. For dils lease, •mere was more community Input, I think that town ofCumberla nd and with of­ North Road. sidered by George LaPolnte, DMR Olson dld not think he would ap­ ficials from School Administrative Shane also noted that new aid commissioner. LaPointe has 120 peal the decision, in that case. "I made a difference," Robinson sald. He noted that both the Town District 51. figures from the state Department days from the Dec. 1 pubtic hear­ don't think my odds are very good,· On Jan. 7, Chebeague and Cum· of Education means that there will ing on the lease to issue the final he said. It would cost a fortune of Cumberland and the owner of pleo.sesee MUSSELFARM,pag, 6 berland negotiators worked out a likely be no tax impact to the town decision, according to Mary Cost!· to appeal something in Superior tentative agreement on rhe major of Cumberland because of Che­ gan, aquaculture hearing officer Court; I'm not sure I want to.'' secession lssues. That agreement beague seceding. fortheDMR. If the denial is made final, it was passed 7 too by the Cumber­ Once negotiations with the town The lease was requested byTollef would be a major blow to his busi­ land Town Council. were concluded, meetings began Olson, of South Portland, owner ness. Olson said. ·u I'm not al· Inside The tentative agreement would with officials frornSAI) 51. or Aqua Farms LLC, who already lowed to grow, it puts me on new Brief, p. 2 make 16 Cumberland islands part The two parties have held four grows mussels on ropes hanging grow,d," he said. "I have 10 totally Police log p. 6 of a Town of Chebeague, pro,id­ sessions so far, said Beverly John· frorn rafts off Bangs Island, to the revamp my vision of the future of This Island Life p. 5 lng Chebeague pay Cumberland son, one of Chebeague's five offi­ southeast of Chebeague Island, thecompnny... Crossword puzzle p. 9 half the property taxes for those ls­ cial secession representatives, who and off Clapboard Island, off Fal­ lwo Chebeague Island lobster· Star Ga,ing p.