New Year's baby

Welcome to Maxwell Richard Thomas, Miles Memorial Hospital's first baby born in 2001. Weighing in at 8 lbs. ½ oz. and 19 inches long. Maxwell was born at 9:02 a.m. on Jan. 1. His parents are Danielle Alley and Thomas Thomas of Boothbay.

SAD 40 to place more stock in MEA tests

The SAD 40 board of directors agreed on Tuesday to put a stronger emphasis on uniform testing in determining student achievement.

"We need to inspire a climate of learning," said board chairman Sam Pennington. In a resolution drafted by board member Michael Laing, the board said it wanted to use Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) tests and other exams aligned with the Maine Learning Results as a larger indicator of achievement including a factor in grades and placement in advanced courses.

"It is a validated test. We have not taken it seriously enough," said Pennington of the MEA tests taken in the fourth, eighth, and 11th grades. Typically students tend to "blow off" the tests because they are not linked to their personal grades, he said.

"It has created a big stir," said Pennington, adding that the posting of the resolution on the Community Learners Network (CLN) has brought a reaction from students and parents.

"He (Laing) suggested it was a New Year's resolution," Pennington said. He said the resolution will go to the policy committee and to staff members at the high school before being put in its final form.

"We will probably have a public hearing," said Pennington. He said that the direction of the board on the assessment issue is the way he hoped the board would function rather than in the area of micro-managing the administration of the schools.

"It is the crux of what the school board should be doing," he said.

In other business the board set Jan. 25 as the application deadline for students who wish to serve on the board as a non- voting member. High school students wishing to apply should have a recommendation from a student and an adult. The board will review the applications and select a finalist. The student member will be able to participate in all aspects of the board open to the public except for voting privileges. They will be given the $10 per meeting board stipend.

The board approved the sale of a two acre lot off the Manktown Road to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension for $7000 and other considerations. The extension plans to move its offices to a new building on the lot this year.

PO kitty

Coopers Mills Post Office's kitty Jessie enjoys a catnap on Dec. 27. (Paula Roberts photo)

Gun safety group issues free locks

A gun safety group has issued free gun locks to Lincoln County Sheriff's Department and Wiscasset Police in a unique statewide effort to promote protection of Maine's children from gun-related injury.

"Not one gun tragedy for Maine children in 2001" is the goal Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence Foundation is setting this year with its giveaway program involving 45 law enforcement departments so far, according to spokesperson Mary Ellen Sullivan.

"The focus is keeping guns away from kids, but leaving it up to parents' discretion as to how," she said. The group plans to raise funds through grants to keep any law enforcement department stocked with the gun locks.

Sheriff William Carter announced that the gun locks will be available for any residents of Lincoln County who live in communities without their own police department. Wiscasset residents may obtain them from the Wiscasset Police Department.

"The device will be provided along with a demonstration on the proper use of the trigger lock," Carter said. "The department only has a small supply at this time, but anticipates more availability as the Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence gets resupplied."

The group sought to find a way it could in some way make a dent in the problem of gun violence, according to Sullivan. "In distributing the locks across the state, the foundation hopes to make thousands of Maine homes safer as well as to spread the message that guns must be locked away from children."

She said that currently over 100 people in Maine are killed each year by guns and hundreds more injured. There are about 1.25 million guns in the state of Maine alone, according to a recent foundation survey. Of the number, the survey revealed that 400,000 of them are handguns. The figure may be higher, since people may not always admit they have guns, Sullivan said.

"There are always a few accidental deaths and always a few teen suicides," she said "Teenagers aren't going to be taking them and killing themselves or others. In most cases, guns are used against family members."

The trigger locks enclose the trigger guard of guns to that the trigger cannot be pulled. They should not be installed on loaded guns, Sullivan said.

The foundation is a non-profit organization based in Portland but with board members from throughout the state including domestic violence professionals, doctors, lawyers, civic leaders, and quite a few police chiefs, she said.

It is currently distributing the gun locks to any law enforcement department including police, state police and county sheriff's which are interested.

"Anyone who wants one can have one. They don't have to sign up for them," Sullivan said.

If an individual gun owner were to purchase one on the market, he would pay $7-8 and more for more substantial types of locks. The foundation is able to purchase them at cost in bulk, Sullivan said.

Bond takes office as new commissioner

Newly elected Commissioner Sheridan Bond (center) takes his place amongst his peers as a Lincoln County Commissioner Tuesday. Left to right, Commissioners John O'Connell, Bond and Bill Blodgett, elected chairman.

In a swearing-in ceremony at the Lincoln County Courthouse, Sheridan Bond officially became one of the three county commissioners Tuesday after being elected in November to the uncontested seat Commissioner Jim Gallagher occupied for 20 years.

Following the ceremony, the Jefferson Republican sat as a county commissioner for the first time at the commissioners' first meeting of the year. They presented their recommended $4.8 million budget for the New Year, an amount representing a 9.56 percent increase over last year's budget of $4.4 million.

With a total $789,400 in revenue this year, which is 18 percent more than last year, the difference amounts to an actual eight percent increase. There were no major changes from the budget draft proposed in October by the budget advisory committee.

However, negotiations with the county personnel union are still continuing and so far figures related to personnel services are estimates, including insurance costs. Also, the budget cannot be finalized until the county receives the assessments of local communities from the state, commissioners said.

The allocation of taxes to the towns is based on their valuation, Commissioner John O'Connell explained. A preliminary report from the state is expected in a couple of weeks, and the final report is scheduled for the end of February.

"The state does the assessments and we have to wait for the new figures before determining what they are obliged to pay," said Commissioner Bill Blodgett, who was elected Tuesday as the new chairman, succeeding O'Connell. "If Wiscasset's goes down, then others will have to go up."

At the close of the meeting Tuesday, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss personnel negotiations.

During the meeting, Chief Dep. Dan Bradford reported that there are 26 people under jail supervision, 25 of them in-house and one on work release. There are three females and 22 males confined to the jail currently.

Commissioners unanimously approved the sheriff's department selection of Steven Peaslee as a corrections officer and Peter Kenyon as a reserve patrol officer.

Commissioners chose Bond as their liaison for the Knox- Lincoln County Extension.

WHS basketball

Nick Merry passes baseline past Boothbay's Mike Tomacelli in Wiscasset's Mt. Valley Conference win Tuesday night. (Paula Roberts photo)

Murder suspect lived in Bristol

The reverberations felt around the nation in the wake of a shooting which killed seven office workers in a Wakefield, Mass. last week had a special timbre in Lincoln County.

Two Bristol residents recognized the man accused of the crime, Michael McDermott, as the man who sold his house to them in the 1980's. At the time of the sale, McDermott was reportedly working for Maine Yankee in Wiscasset.

Yvonne Hanneman and Penny Young recognized McDermott after his picture was splashed in newspapers across the country. According to Young, the picture in the Boston Globe finally convinced her it was the same man.

"After seeing the picture in the Globe I was 90 percent sure," Young said. "Yvonne was 100 percent sure. Suzanne (Treidler) wasn't buying it."

Suzanne Treidler was the real estate agent who facilitated the sale when Hanneman and Young purchased the Longfellow Schoolhouse in Bristol Mills from McDermott in June 1987. The pair had previously spent months searching for a suitable location for their business, New England Screen Door Co.

Coincidentally Treidler was the agent who originally sold the building to McDermott while McDermott was working for Maine Yankee. Following the 1987 sale, Treidler continued to assist McDermott by searching for other properties around Lincoln County.

Treidler remembered McDermott selected her as his agent after meeting with others in the area. She said overall McDermott seemed a nice young man with an offbeat sense of humor. Treidler however, maintained her reservations.

"There was something that made me uneasy about him," Treidler said. "I can't explain it to you."

At that time McDermott was well groomed and approximately 60 to 70lbs. thinner than he appeared in the pictures taken following his arrest, Treidler said. On at least one occasion Treidler remembers McDermott referring to himself as Michael McDermott Martinez.

Treidler remembered McDermott purchased the Longfellow building with a Veteran's Administration loan. To ensure the property qualified for the loan's stringent standards, McDermott volunteered to paint the building himself and rented the equipment to do it.

Treidler warned him that as the applicant, he could be out of luck if the loan was not granted but McDermott persisted. "He really did a very nice job and was very pleasant about it, too," Treidler said.

McDermott impressed both Hanneman and Young as a nice young man who demonstrated a manic type energy. Hanneman recalled that McDermott appeared thrilled with their decision to purchase the building. He purchased champagne for the closing and custom ordered ceramic mugs for Hanneman and Young.

"At the closing he presented us with these mugs," Young said. "It was very sweet. That's the side of Michael we saw... You don't expect the Son of Sam to be living next door to you. Well, we knew him and he gave us mugs. We still have them."

McDermott told Hanneman and Young that he worked the night shift at Maine Yankee and claimed he was the only one at the controls during that time.

McDermott claimed he had leaked information about unreported releases of radioactive material from the plant. McDermott alleged he was being transferred to the Augusta office "kicked upstairs" as he put it, because of his status as a "whistleblower".

Hanneman said around the time of the sale there was nothing that would indicate McDermott could or would turn violent. Neither Haneman, Young or Triedler recalled McDermott ever appearing threatening or demonstrating an interest in weapons.

"He was just unusual," Hanneman said. "He made improvements to the schoolhouse. He put a bell in the tower." Describing the decor she said: "It was a guy's house. He had a computer in an office area, a couple of technical magazines around. There was nothing sinister whatsoever."

"I feel tremendous sadness for the victims but tremendous sadness for him, too," Young said. "This was a bright young guy. We saw him at a happier time in his life."

McDermott stayed in touch with Hanneman and Young after the sale went through in June of 1987. Hanneman and Young occasionally called on him because he possessed a working knowledge of the boiler. Hanneman recalled that McDermott was also happy to provide assistance and would often talk at length.

Within a year, as Hanneman attempted to contact McDermott for more boiler advice, she discovered he had moved from Augusta without leaving a forwarding address.

According to Maine Yankee spokesman Eric Howes, in all likelihood, the Massachusetts suspect is the same Michael McDermott who worked at the plant as a control room operator between 1982 and 1988.

Howes declined comment on McDermott's work record with Maine Yankee. Howes also declined to comment on the substance of McDermott's allegation that he was being transferred from Wiscasset to Augusta because of his "whistleblowing" activities.

Howes noted that under federal law, any employee can report directly to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and would be federally protected from recrimination for doing so.

"Maine Yankee would suggest checking with the NRC regarding these allegations," Howes said. "Allegations of whistleblowing are a serious issue."

Howes added if an allegation was substantiated, it would lead to a notice of violation against the company. There could be further penalties for taking action against an employee for blowing the whistle, Howes said.

At press time a spokesman for the NRC would only confirm that McDermott worked at Maine Yankee between 1985 and 1987 as a licensed reactor operator.

LA cheering

Lincoln Academy cheerleaders entertain the crowd with this unique move last Friday night. (Paula Roberts photo)

Maine Yankee rail shipments raise concern for safety

Rail containers carrying concrete with little if any nuclear contamination from Maine Yankee in Wiscasset sat on tracks for a week in Brunswick awaiting shipment to a special disposal area in Utah, but residents in the vicinity became concerned when they found out, fearing it may be harmful.

Until last week, residents of the area were largely unaware of the contents, according to Friends of the Coast spokesman Ray Shadis, who said he received an anonymous call informing him of the situation. Friends of the Coast is an official intervener in Maine Yankee's decommissioning process.

However, Maine Yankee examined the material before it left the plant and detected no radioactivity beyond normal background radiation in the natural environment, according to spokesman Eric Howes. If there had been any radiological concern, it should not have set there more than the 48-hour limit and would have been marked as such in compliance with strict standards to which Maine Yankee adheres, Howes said.

"Nothing occurred that shouldn't have occurred," he said. He explained that the material is concrete waste from demolished buildings as a part of the decommissioning process. Guilford Transportation is the company which transports the material from Maine Yankee.

Howes said that Maine Yankee personnel examined the concrete before it was placed into the steel sea-land crates and detected no noticeable levels of contamination beyond normal background levels. Even though material may not have any contamination, it is treated as though it does and is shipped out, he said.

The company had no markings on the crates indicating there was radioactive materiel in them because the material was of no concern from a contamination standpoint, Howes said.

Yet Shadis expressed concern that nobody would ever know the cars contained waste from the decommissioning work totalling in excess of 50,000 pounds of concrete per box car in special sea- land steel crates, Shadis said.

"It happens to be concrete, which really has only a small amount of contamination," he said. Because of a recent decision regarding the disposal of low-level waste in the decommissioning process, Maine Yankee has decided not to bury such materials from buildings being demolished but to transport them to specially reserved disposal sites, such as Envirocare in Clive, Utah where the concrete was headed.

"The only markings are in-house labels written with a magic marker on tape saying 'class A waste'," he said. There is no specific marking indicating the contents are radioactive, according to Shadis. Other than the in-house labels, the cars have imprinted on them "MHF Logistical Solutions", a Pennsylvania company handling nuclear waste transfer for Maine Yankee.

He said he does not know how the caller knew that the rail cars contained the concrete, but he inspected the cars himself.

"The public should know that the waste is being handled properly," Shadis said. "The question is how long does it have to sit there before if becomes a temporary spent fuel disposal site?"

Meanwhile, Maine Yankee will be continually shipping low-level materials from the demolition of various buildings at the company site, since its decision to ship them out rather than burying them, Howes said.

Historic home burns in Alna

Firefighters from four towns fought through heavy black smoke in an effort to contain the Alna house fire on Rt. 218, Dec. 27. Conditions only deteriorated when temperatures dipped causing everything to ice up.

Saving an old Alna house proved to be a frustrating job for a volunteer fire department chronically undermanned and in conditions that thwarted their efforts at every blast of the hose.

It was not until late last week that it was determined the stubborn blaze, now under investigation, was fueled by about 100 gallons of heating oil.

Firefighters left the scene of the structure fire at 3:09 a.m. Dec. 28, 12 hours after a call to 911 that black smoke was coming from the boiler room of the 1793, half million dollar Judy Fossel home, originally known as the Asa Smith Homestead.

Three rooms were saved, according to Alna Asst. Fire Chief Peter Christine, but the roof of the 10 room home on Rt. 218 is gone and the ell with an attached garage and a car inside were destroyed.

Total property damage including contents of the home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is estimated at more than $600,000 and possibly as much as $1 million.

Fossel was at home with her son, Jimmy, when the fire started. Also at the house was a home heating master technician from Colby & Gale, a Damariscotta fuel company, who was preparing to clean the plugged boiler.

The mutual aid call brought firefighters with trucks and equipment from Wiscasset, Jefferson and Whitefield. Christine said about 35 men and women responded.

Temperatures in the teens coupled with a wind chill factor of minus 15 degrees iced up everything, Christine said. "Ice was a major problem and encrusted the trucks and the firefighters." Hoses repeatedly froze in a matter of minutes. Although there were no injuries, some frost bite was reported.

"We had a bit of a problem with the water from the pond," Christine said, because the pressure was low, but the attack lines were running okay. Two nearby ponds were used as water sources. "Whitefield cut through Kelly's Pond and fed the Jefferson engine." The hydrant near the Octagonal House down the road could not be used because of mechanical problems.

A ventilation hole was cut in the roof of the ell but no fire appeared because there was a false ceiling with dead air space. "We couldn't reach the fire," said Christine.

Meanwhile firefighters inside the main house were trying to contain the fire to the ell, continuously dumping water, but were forced to stop when the fire spread quickly up the walls into the second story. "It seemed prudent not to put firefighters at risk," and they were pulled out, Christine said.

Colby & Gale owner Robert Clifford requested an investigation by the state fire marshal's office which had signed off on the case because the fire was not considered suspicious. Both Colby & Gale and Fossel are insured by Commercial Union insurance company.

"When the service man got there the boiler was out," and nothing was running, Clifford said. "It was dead, no fire." The fire was an accident and not negligence, Clifford said, adding the technician followed all the proper guidelines. "We went to a house to make it safe and warm, not to burn it down."

On Friday afternoon a fire inspector and two state burner inspectors went to the burned out house, at about the same time a hot spot in the smoldering woodpile was discovered requiring a call for a fire truck. Christine said the inspector's report is expected by next week. "The woodstove was not an issue," said Christine, because it was not hooked to the same flue.

The 250 gallon oil tank had been filled Dec. 26 and Christine said when measured Friday the tank was about five-eighths full. "If you do the math, about 100 gallons of oil fed into the fire," he said. "This would explain why it was so stubborn and kept flaring up."

According to his written report, Colby & Gale technician Jim Crossley smelled smoke when he first arrived at the house at 2:15 p.m. "I assumed the boiler had backfired earlier on in the day." He found oil and water under and around the boiler. "So I shut the switch off and turned on some lights around the unit." Inside was full of soot and oil and the nozzle assembly was covered with oily balls. "I noticed a slight burned oil smell in the air."

As he got farther into the unit he found oil, water and soot the consistency of mud. He vacuumed up some of the soot. He told Fossel there was a hole in the boiler and he would need more help.

Immediately before the fire began, around 3 p.m., Crossley was on the phone to the Damariscotta office requesting more help and equipment.

"After about a minute I smelled it (smoke) again and looked out into the kitchen where I saw smoke coming from under the kitchen door which led to the boiler room." He was unable to get back down to the boiler room located in a woodshed off the kitchen.

"When I got back there the smoke was too thick to see anything. I tried to make it to my fire extinguisher which I had left outside the boiler room door but right then I heard a pop and all the lights went out."

Crossley went back upstairs to tell Fossel to call 911. "Then I went to my truck and grabbed my respirator hoping to be able to make it further towards the boiler to get my fire extinguisher."

At this point the kitchen was filling with black smoke. He tried to get downstairs to the boiler and was pushed back by a wave of heat and smoke. "When I turned around to go out, the smoke was so thick I couldn't find the door to go into the kitchen." Crossley did manage to grope his way to the sitting room and told the Fossels to get out of the house.

Judy Fossel said, "We had to leave in a very big hurry," and the pet cat was with them. "He was spooked," she said.

"Only three firefighters responded," said Christine. The assistant fire chief said his age of 48 is the average and that at any given time half of the dozen active volunteers are out of town or unavailable. A huge effort has been made to recruit younger volunteers, he said.

Alna safety officer Jim Bruce was a quarter mile away from the house when the alarm sounded. "There was a tremendous amount of black smoke," said Bruce, "more than you'd expect from a furnace flooded."

The only other two town firefighters immediately available were Austin Trask, sick from medical treatments, who arrived with the pumper, and his wife Colleen who drove the second Alna truck.

Christine, himself sick and alone with young children, arrived 40 minutes later. Fire Chief Michael Trask was away on vacation. Another Alna volunteer Larry Thornburg was also ailing but he responded to the alarm. "When Austin got there they called mutual aid," said Bruce.

Fossel is philosophical about losing the home she owned for 20 years. "It was just a house... It was just meant to happen," she said from the kitchen of her former husband Les Fossel's Alna home. He is a professional restorer of 18th century homes, including hers. She is not certain yet about rebuilding.

"The house has been on the market since July," listed at $499,000, she said. "I plan to stay in the area. I still own the property," 33 acres.

She is appreciative of the efforts to save it. "I'm thanking all the fire departments who turned out to fight that terrible fire." Also, "Les's whole crew yesterday all day in the snow carried things out," and the salvaged house furnishings are stored in a secure place, she said. Fossel's neighbors opened their home the night of the fire to allow firefighters to warm up and also provided sandwiches.

At the Alna fire department's fire critique Wednesday, Christine said the push will be for automatic mutual aid from now on so that when there is a fire, other towns will be paged out immediately.

"I'm looking at it as a fortunate outcome," said Christine. "It's not a foundation with a chimney standing," and he wants fellow firefighters to recognize that under the conditions and circumstances, saving more of the house was not to be. "I think we did damn well to save a lot of the contents and still have some house left."

Sgt. Jennifer Mills of the state fire marshal's office called at press time to report on the investigation and said, "That fire is an accidental cause and happened in the vicinity of the furnace."

LA-WHS wrestling

Johnny Peaslee drops Wiscasset's Nathan Presby to the mat in heavy weight wrestling action at Lincoln Academy. (Paula Roberts photo)

Fire levels garage in South Bristol

A structure fire on Split Rock Rd. in Walpole Saturday night leveled a storage building despite the best efforts of local responders.

Every available South Bristol firefighter turned out for the call shortly after 9 p.m. but the building was fully involved by the time responders began to arrive en masse.

According to department sources, Adam Rice, son of the building's owner David Rice, noticed the fire from his nearby residence around 9 p.m.

South Bristol Assist. Chief Richard Forstrom said he arrived on the scene approximately 7-8 minutes after the call.

"The building was completely gone," Forstrom said. "Three corner posts were standing. Everything else was completely gone."

Items lost in the fire include a snowmobile, a tractor, a four wheeler and a number of tools. A lobster boat located approximately 35 feet away from the structure was untouched.

Forstrom said weather conditions may have both helped and hampered firefighting efforts. Responders traveling to the scene were hampered by heavy snow which blanketed the roads. At the scene burning embers were extinguished by the snow.

Forstrom said it was fortunate that the wind remained relatively steady throughout the fire. "The wind was blowing toward the house," Forstrom said. "If it had shifted 20 degrees it would have been bad for the boat."

David Rice said the building was a complete loss and he could not offer a dollar figure at this time. Rice said he would meet with insurance adjustors at the scene Jan. 2.

The South Bristol fire department received support from the Bristol and Damariscotta Fire Depts.

Newcastle teen injured in sliding accident

Winter fun almost turned into a winter tragedy when a local teenager was injured in a sliding accident on the Lincoln Academy campus in Newcastle Jan. 1.

Stephanie Delano, 16, of Newcastle was airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland after fracturing her right orbital socket late Monday afternoon. Delano, a freshman at Lincoln Academy, sustained the injury crashing headfirst into a softball dugout.

Delano was transported by ambulance to Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta before being airlifted to Maine Med. She spent the night in intensive care and was still listed in critical condition late Tuesday afternoon.

Stephanie's father Stephen Delano said the prognosis for his daughter's recovery is positive. Stephanie is expected to retain sight in her right eye and two CAT scans have failed to reveal any injury to the brain.

Delano said he expects his daughter will be downgraded from critical condition, possibly as early as Jan. 2, and moved into the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital for recovery. She is expected to be released late this week.

Members of the Delano family will stay at the Ronald MacDonald House until Stephanie is released.

"The family as holding up as best we can," Delano said "She is a very lucky girl. I just want to say thank you to all the people who helped, for all their prayers."

Old tugboat causes concerns at Schooner Landing

This old Army tugboat has become a safety concern at Schooner Landing, Damariscotta.

An old tugboat that last winter ripped up the pilings around its mooring at Schooner Landing in Damariscotta, has again become a concern to some local residents.

"I see (the boat) as an ongoing and constant threat to the waterfront," said Damariscotta resident John Thompson, who is the former marina manager at Schooner Landing. "Last winter there were a few moments I really thought she was going down river," Thompson said.

The concerns of Thompson and others are heightened by the revelation that no one seems to be responsible for the 57-year- old vessel.

In fact, it appears avoiding that responsibility and the liability it might ensue has become a primary issue for those already involved, and those who might become involved.

Even John Thompson, who was concerned enough about public safety to share his opinions with The Lincoln County News, made it clear that he was speaking on his own, and not on behalf of Schooner Landing or any other entity.

Thompson said credit for measures taken to secure the vessel should go to "local watermen" who were "willing to help a vessel in distress" but are now "afraid of the liability involved."

According to Schooner Landing restaurant manager Scott Folsom, the boat's title is held by Steamship Navigation Company, Inc., which is owned by Randy and Kathy Dunican. The Secretary of State's office confirms that the corporation is under the directorship of the Dunicans, who are listed by the state as residing in Locke Mills.

Contacted by telephone, Kathy Dunican said that neither she nor her husband had any comments regarding the boat. The Dunicans' attorney, Edward Dardis of Damariscotta, did not return a telephone call by press time.

According to Folsom, Dunican had agreed to remove the vessel by May of last year. However, that date has long passed, and Folsom said he has seen no action on the part of the Dunicans to remove or even to better secure the vessel. And there have been no communications received from Dunican that he intends to move the vessel any time soon, if at all.

Both Schooner Landing and the Camden National Bank (which holds the loan on the boat) have filed mechanical liens on the vessel.

An attorney for Camden National Bank stated the bank has no comment regarding the tug.

According to Folsom at Schooner Landing, the lien offers very little in the way of remedy unless the boat is sold to a new owner. With the Dunicans still holding title on the boat, Folsom said he is legally unable to take any action such as moving or storing the vessel. He is also unsure as to whether he can take additional steps to secure the boat without creating liability for Schooner Landing.

Desperate for some kind of action to safeguard the boat and the waterfront with the onslaught of winter storms, Folsom has contacted Damariscotta town officials and the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA) in Wiscasset.

"I'm just trying to get some help - I want to see if these agencies agree that the vessel is a threat," Folsom said.

So far, assistance from the government has not been forthcoming. The matter was briefly considered at the Dec. 27 Damariscotta selectmen's meeting. The selectmen declined to involve the town in a private matter.

Damariscotta harbor master Paul Bryant said that until he receives a different directive from the selectmen or town attorney, his hands are tied.

Any action LCEMA may take will have to wait until later this week when director Jerry Silva returns from leave.

Presently the tug is secured by a mooring line, an anchor chain, and several dock lines, according to Thompson, who is a career merchant marine.

The mooring line is the primary source of stability, Thompson said. It can be seen extending from the port (left) side of the boat out into the river. Thompson believes it is attached to a 1500 pound concrete block. However, the shackle connecting the mooring to the line has not been checked for years, Thompson said, and he believes it may be wearing out.

The line which secures the mooring and boat is made of rope and is two inches in diameter. That line is showing considerable wear, Thompson said.

There are also two chains extending from the bow. The chain running out of the hawser pipe on the port bow is attached to a "dolphin" which is a set of two or more pilings roped together.

The second chain, running out of the hawser pipe on the starboard (right) bow is run out into the river where it is attached to a Danforth anchor.

There are also a number of lines extending from the tugboat's stern and secured to a dolphin just astern of the vessel. All of these stern lines are also 2-inch rope, and show worrisome chafe according to Thompson.

Deployment of the anchor chain and many of the stern lines was required last winter when, according to Thompson, the tugboat ripped out three pilings and the strongest dolphin in the marina. Thompson said storm tides and the added weight of ice frozen to the boat's steel hull were major contributors to the damage.

It was only through the quickly organized efforts of local boaters and fishermen, who braved ice covered docks and maneuvered their boats on the cold river, that the tug didn't cause more damage or break loose into the river current, Thompson said.

None of those who helped with the rescue effort want to be identified, Thompson said, because of the risk of liability. That leaves Thompson worried about who might respond if the vessel were to begin breaking loose again. "And the boat was tied up much better then than it is now," Thompson said.

Thompson also said that he was present several years ago when United States Coast Guard officers boarded the tug for an inspection. Thompson said the officers described seeing numerous examples of hazardous waste such as paints, varnishes, and oils unsecured within the boat's interior. He was also told that there were 400 gallons of diesel fuel in the boat's tanks. Thompson worries these items could be spilled if the boat were to break away.

The vessel is unnamed except for old lettering on its bow that identifies it as "United States Army T509". A check on the reference book "U.S. Army Ships and Watercraft of World War II" (by David H. Grover, Naval Institute Press) shows that Army T509 was built in 1944 by the United Boat Service in City Island, N.Y. The vessel has a length of 86 feet and a beam (width) of 23 feet. Her draw is 10 feet. She is powered by a single 690 horsepower diesel engine.

Service records of such vessels are maintained by Group 270 at the National Archives in Washington D.C. However, according to a clerk there, these records are not indexed, so a complete military record on the vessel would be nearly impossible to ascertain.

Based on the vessel's configuration and launch date, the clerk believed that the vessel quietly served out its tour as a harbor tug in the Chesapeake area before being mustered out to the auction block.

Scott Folsom said that he believes the tug had been used by a non-profit group for river tours on the Kennebec River before being purchased by the Dunicans.

Now the white washed tugboat can be seen by those passing over the Damariscotta/Newcastle bridge, moored on the river side of Schooner Landing, its future uncertain.

Two snowmobilers injured in Gardiner Pond crash

Two Wiscasset men sustained serious injuries following a snowmobile crash Monday night on Gardiner Pond. Local, police, fire rescue and ambulance units responded to a 9:30 p.m. call to the scene of the accident to rescue one of the victims.

Stuart (Shane) Wyman, 28, of Wiscasset was driving his Polaris Indy allegedly at a high speed estimated at 80-90 miles per hour over the ice on the lake when his snowmobile struck one operated by David West, 30, of Wiscasset on the right side demolishing both vehicles, according to one of the state investigators, Warden Joe Lefebvre.

"It' a miracle either one of them lived," he said. Lefebvre, who is conducting the investigation along with Warden Robert Decker, claimed that there was alcohol involved in the incident.

West was reportedly doing "doughnuts" on the pond with his Motorski at the time Wyman struck him, Lefebvre said. The impact caused right leg injuries to West, and parts of both snowmobiles to be strewn 70-80 feet from the actual point of contact.

Wyman, who received serious wrist injuries and possible abdominal injuries, went from the scene of the accident at the south end of the pond to a Bogg Road resident on the northeast side where he called for help. Wyman went to Miles Memorial Hospital via private vehicle, according to the Warden Service.

Through the coordinated efforts of Wiscasset's fire rescue unit, police and ambulance, West was treated and taken by ambulance to Miles. Both victims underwent surgery Monday night for their injuries.

Rescue vehicles made access to Gardiner Pond through the Downeast Family Campground with four wheel drive vehicles and went by snowmobile to the scene of the crash about three-quarters of the way across the lake from the campground beach, according to Capt. Brad Foster of the Wiscasset Fire Department.

"We stabilized him and wrapped him in blankets," Foster said. At the time West was suffering from hypothermia in addition to the leg injuries.

Rescue workers placed West on a plastic sled, which they towed by snowmobile to the shore of the pond where they placed him on a four-wheel drive pickup to take him out along the campground road before transporting him via ambulance to Miles.

"It was a well coordinated effort by police, fire, and ambulance personnel, and everything went great," Foster said. He estimated the whole rescue operation took 45 minutes.

The wardens arrived on the scene after the rescue and will be continuing their investigation of the incident, according to Warden Lefebvre.

New time, new place for MMHL Rummage Sale

After 20 years at the Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta, the Miles Memorial Hospital League Rummage Sale is moving on. Last week rummage sale chairman Roger Tappan confirmed plans to relocate the sale to Newcastle in 2001.

Tappan said the relationship between the YMCA and the Hospital League ended with a polite parting of the ways. "We had a very nice relationship with the Y," Tappan said. "We've been there since 1980. We are sorry to see it end. It had a lot of amenities which will be hard to duplicate."

Speaking with LCN last week, Tappan said MMHL officials have received a formal letter from President of the YMCA Trustees Arthur Dexter politely outlining the reasons for the Y's decision.

Chief among the cited reasons is a state fire marshal ruling that a building with more than 300 occupants requires a sprinkler system. The current YMCA facility does not have a sprinkler system and one is not planned for the addition currently being constructed behind the main building.

Two other cited reasons are the floor in the new tennis facility will require a layer of carpet and a covering of plywood to protect it during the nine days of sale activities and plans to redesign the existing space will affect the area used for the sale.

CLC Executive Dir. Barry Costa said the YMCA was sorry to see the relationship end. "It's a service to the community and it is sad that we can't provide the service to the community anymore," Costa said.

Pending approval by Newcastle municipal officials, Tappan said sale organizers would like to move the sale to the land owned by John Hilton on Rt. 215 in Newcastle. MMHL already owns a barn on the property which it uses for year round storage.

"It has the advantage of having electricity, water, parking space and we will save ourselves many man hours of work," Tappan said. "We can use the barn to display furniture and the side shed to display other things."

To support the move to Newcastle, organizers have decided to move the sale from its traditional September dates to the weekend before Labor Day. This year planned sale dates will fall on Aug 23-25.

In part because current plans are to hold the sale outdoors under five 120 foot long tents, a summer date was chosen to take advantage of the warmer weather, Tappan said.

A primary concern for sale organizers is the immense volume of traffic the sale generates, Tappan said. According to his figures, at any given time during the rummage sale, 1,000 cars would be parked near the YMCA facility.

Tappan said if Newcastle grants approval, sale organizers will work closely with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office in preplanning to alleviate traffic problems as much as possible.

"Whatever is required we will do it to make it possible," Tappan said.

John Hilton owns two parcels of land along Rt. 215, one 10 acres and the other a four acre parcel behind the MMHL's barn. Tappan said he does not expect the sale will require all of the smaller lot but will need a majority of the larger parcel.

Other changes sale organizers have made include extending sale hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the second day of the sale.

Loss of a facility for the sale is not the only challenge for the rummage sale planners. For the last several years, the hospital league has maintained two barns for storage of sale items.

The League owns the barn on the Hilton property but the owner of the second has decided to sell the property.

To provide additional storage, two semi-trailers have been donated to the league by Bob and Paula Wheeler. Tappan said the two trailers were set up at the League's traditional drop off spot on Belvedere Rd. in Damariscotta.

Questions remain regarding Newcastle's ordinance which allows "casual sales" and whether or not the huge MMHL annual sale conforms to requirements.