Fish and Chips--Guest Blog, Ted Sylvester

The Flashiest Place in Town

Who Cares If It’s Working

By Ted Sylvester

Rockland News Bureau

Ted’s column for August 27, 1971

What must be the ultimate in outdoor toilets has been built by a summer resident at Spruce Head.

A septic tank was installed at the summer home in anticipation of future improvements after retirement. It was decided to take advantage of the sewer system, so a conventional outhouse was constructed over the tank with one major change. This outhouse features a flush toilet. A hose was run from the house to the facility to provide a water supply.

The outside is tastefully decorated with an assortment of driftwood pieces. A pot buoy hangs from one corner, and a bird house rests on the roof.

Now these outhouses have been called various names. Some that come to mind are backhouses, privies, and even telephone booths.

This particular house is being called “The Stool Shed.”

PUC Ruling Expected

A spokesman at the Public Utilities commission in Augusta this week said that a commission ruling on the new rates for the Maine State Ferry Service is expected within a week or so.

You will remember that the rates were increased nearly 12 per cent across the board to defray the cost of an additional four-man relief crew. The action had been approved by the state legislature.

Robert True said that there had been discussion in Augusta this week on whether the President’s freeze on prices would affect the ferry rate increase in the event the commission decided to uphold them. Since the rates were allowed to go into effect July 11 it is felt the President’s order would not apply. (The president was Richard Nixon)

Contrary to the claims of some island people at a PUC hearing last month that increased ferry rates would mean a drop in overall revenue because less people would use the facility, a MSES official reported Thursday that from all appearances business was on a par with a year ago.

Marooned Sailor

The Coast Guard station at Rockland was called to assist a disabled vessel in Rockland Harbor this week. This in itself is nothing unusual as not many weeks go by when they are not called on for this specific duty.

However, the call in question involved a marooned 10-year-old sailor whose raft had blown offshore in the wind. Officials said the boy was not in any danger as he was not too far from shore; he was having a tough time though in trying to pilot his raft back to port in choppy waters.

 (I guess my old South End buddy, Bobby Lord, wasn’t the only boy sailor who tried to float a raft in our waters.)