Beyond the South End

Fish

And

Chips

 

By TED SYLVESTER

(This photo of Ted at his desk in the Bangor Daily News office in 1977 in Rockland was emailed to “Southendstories” by Andrew Carpenter of the Rockland Historical Society. Thanks, Andrew)

 

(This column appeared in the Bangor Daily News on February 2, 1975)

 

(It seems they had education problems in the area then too)

It was a real shocker this week to learn that more than half the adults in Knox County are without a high school diploma. Perhaps more disturbing was the realization that Rockland does not make its school facilities available for adults wishing to return to get a diploma.

Of course, rising unemployment and the economic situation are leading some to seek out the diploma program for the money that’s in it, but there are those who are generally interested in bettering themselves. There is no disputing the fact there are not too many good jobs available to those without a high school diploma.

The money benefits come about from a Veterans Administration Program which will pay veterans for going back to school. We reported earlier this week that a veteran could receive up to $300 for going back to high school. This was an error. The $300 figure is the minimum a veteran would receive. The maximum is something like $575 a month. Realization of these benefits is being made known to veterans from the post Korean War era to the present. We were told V.A. representatives are seeking out veterans to inform them of the program.

The result of course is that the three high schools in the area offering an adult education program are being swamped with applications. Most programs are now filled to capacity with many unable to enroll. A great percentage of those unable to find a spot are from Rockland.

It seems incredible that SAD 5 would not offer such a program for its residents. The annual appropriation for the program at SAD 50 (Thomaston) was $5,200. It seems that SAD 5 directors could manage an appropriation of this size from its budget which last year reached nearly $2 million.

One director we spoke with was even unaware that this program was unavailable here. His comment when informed of the number of undereducated persons in the county was “that’s incredible.”

But we are told there are no plans to propose any adult high school diploma program in the district’s new budget, which to this point has not been released to the public. The district does offer an abbreviated self-supporting “refresher course” for a couple of months in the fall to prepare persons to take the high school equivalency examination. This is not a diploma program, however.

The directors, of course, cannot be blamed entirely for the lack of such a program, when public apathy at budget hearings the past few years has been appalling. It has been our observation that at past budget hearings about the only persons attending are teachers, whose main objective is to see the budget passed to protect their own interests. And you can’t blame them for that.

With no opinions or suggestions from the public on the direction the system should take, what else can directors assume other than that they are abiding by the wishes of those they serve?

Island Friction

Residents will dispute it, but there is continued friction between North Haven and Vinalhaven. The two islands are cooperating on a joint venture to cure their electric problems, necessary because both are served from the same source.

But in other areas, it’s not so cozy, for instance a vocational education program – the first step in the region eight program – was started this week at Vinalhaven. The course is building trades with students enrolled braving the elements to start construction of a shop for themselves on school property. From this shop students will construct a two-bedroom home 24 by 32 feet which will be sold upon completion. The house will be built at the school, and then moved to a location provided by a buyer.

There are presently seven Vinalhaven boys enrolled in the vocational education program. They will receive instruction in such fields as carpentry, plumbing and electricity.

But what about North Haven students? We were told by a school official this week that North Haven was invited to send students to Vinalhaven for the course, but declined. They want an independent program started at North Haven, we were informed.

Both towns will be voting on vocational education budgets at meetings later this month. Vinalhaven’s share of the program is projected at $13,821, while North Haven will be asked to appropriate $6,530 in tax dollars for the program. Residents will not vote on these specific amounts however, but rather cast a yes or no vote for the entire region eight budget. This procedure will be repeated in all other member communities. A majority vote on the total vocational budget will bind member towns to its share whether they vote approval (or not).

Combination Lock

Rockland detective Louis Lewis went to Connecticut last weekend to bring back a fugitive wanted here to answer to cheating by false pretense charges.

Lewis borrowed a cruiser from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department for the trip. Can you imagine his surprise when the Massachusetts service station attendant informed him he could not get the gas cap off because of a combination lock? And Lewis didn’t know what the combination was.

Fortunately the detective was able to reach Sheriff Carlton Thurston by phone and get the combination.

Sunny South

If you’re chilled by the recent cold snap, and disgruntled over the recent snow, here is a bit of cheery news we received this week from former newsman Jim Moore vacationing in the Florida keys:

“It is 85 degrees. The sky is deep blue. The waters surrounding this key are turquoise. The mocking bird is singing.” Jim, writing Feb. 2, said he was writing the letter “whilst I squat in a plastic web chair which doesn’t prevent either the breeze nor the sunshine from bathing my backsides.”

He concluded by saying his wife had just brought him a cold lemonade made fresh from a giant lemon he had picked. “I toast you slaves with it,” he said.