By
TED SYLVESTER
This
column, written for the March 16, 1973 Bangor Daily News,
includes the history of our present Memorial Pier and its tie to the ambulance
service in Rockland. The pier is where Lobster Festival activities take place
every year.
Dramatic physical
changes to the Memorial Pier at the public landing are in the planning stages
by the Seafoods Festival Corp., an authoritative source told us this week.
Being considered is a
face lifting of the Memorial Pier complete with a roof. The plan is to give the
stage area an amphitheater effect. The stage area also would be completely
resurfaced. It is our understanding that the project is in the hands of an
architect to come up with sketches to be presented for consideration.
Previously presented for
council approval were plans to rebuild the ramp in back of the stage into
permanent steps.
The pier is the center
of attraction during the festival, both the coronation and stage entertainment.
The newest idea to roof
the stage came after the council rejected the Festival Corporation’s offer of a
new ambulance at a cost of about $15,000. A prerequisite was, you remember,
that the city agrees to cross city lines with the ambulance. This was something
the council refused to do.
Every time the question
of ambulance service pops up, the theory that the new Penobscot Bay Medical
Center scheduled to be built at Glen Cove would be the ideal location from
which to operate an ambulance service for the entire mid-coastal area is
presented. We asked Executive Director Lee Pridgen if this was a probability.
Pridgen said the
question of ambulance service had been quite thoroughly discussed. He said it
was the opinion that once Pen Bay is built—operation is some two years away—the
center could act as a coordinator for ambulance service for the entire area.
Pridgen said, however, it was the opinion—and the opinion of those in the
ambulance business--that the base of the ambulances themselves should be in the
respective communities much as it is now.
The director noted that
if the area wanted PBMC to act as the center for ambulance service he is sure
that it would be considered.
Lockup
“Adequate”
Sheriff Carlton V.
Thurston is pleased with the report received this week concerning his jail. In
the words of State Jail Inspector, Richard P. Haskall, “although it is a small
facility, it certainly appears that it can become one of the better lockup and
holding facilities within the State of Maine.”
Sheriff Thurston said
that all deficiencies which were cited in 1971 had been corrected. The only
deficiency noted this time was in the area of food services where the inspector
noted that there should be at least a three-week menu written in advance.
Further noted by the
inspector was “this jail is exceptionally clean, the kitchen and eating area
are outstanding in all respects, and the administration of this facility is
certainly noteworthy.”
Recommendations for the
Knox jail were:
“Serious consideration
should be given by the sheriff and county commissioners in obtaining an
acceptable area for women and juvenile inmates.
“More time and effort
should be spent in the area of rehabilitation and recreation.”
Other recommendations
concern changes inside the jail to meet standards for county jails. Included
are practically all changes which the sheriff has recently proposed. Besides a
new women’s and juvenile quarters, there are recommendations for new locks,
exhaust ventilation, beds, sufficient storage area, adequate space for
consultation and visiting, and necessary equipment for bathing and disinfection
of prisoners.
The county commissioners
are scheduled to tour the jail facility Tuesday. The sheriff is seeking $15,000
which he feels can be matched with federal funds.
Fly
to Florida—Forget It!
We have a friend—who
shall remain nameless—who recently vacationed in sunny Florida. In itself
that’s not too newsworthy, but his experiences getting there and back, well
that’s something else again.
Having a distrust of
those flying machines, our friend nevertheless was persuaded to take to the
airways. The day of departure came and with it also came snow squalls. Fly in
the weather, forget it!
After motoring to
Portland, a flight to Boston was scheduled. Our friend was miserable, according
to our information. So at Boston it was enough of that, it was the train for
him. Never mind that his friends arrived in Florida a day and a half ahead of
him.
On the return home, he
left a couple of days early and we imagine enjoyed the train ride. His friends
came via airways again.
On Wednesday morning of
this week the national news carried stories and pictures of a derailed
Florida-bound train—the same route our friend had used—in which 19 vacationers
were injured.
We asked him what he
thought about train travel now. He stood by his convictions and said as far as
he was concerned it was still the only way to travel. We have to admit that also
reported beside the train accident story was one concerning a plane crash in
which two fatalities occurred.
Beat
the Meat Prices
Want to beat the high
price of meat? The Maine Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries have some
suggestions.
The Maine agency notes
that, through an extensive survey of European markets, that Americans tend to
shun many sea foods which are relished in other countries.
Some species mentioned
were mussels. It is claimed that meals of high protein for under $1 could feed
three to five persons. Another is skates. With required processing, these rival
the flavor of scallops and sell for more than $2 per pound abroad, the report
stated.
Another product
mentioned is dogfish. A portion of the dogfish is smoked and sold in Germany
for up to $2.50 per pound while all of the dogfish is utilized as a finfish in
other parts of Europe. It is commonly used for fish and chips in England.
One of the most sought
after species abroad is the common eel. According to the report, smoked eel has
frequently sold for twice and three times the going price for live lobster in
many foreign countries.
