April 15, 2009

By Carol McCracken

“No More Bailouts” – “Social Programs Are Not A Career Choice” – “It‘s The Spending Stupid” -”Fascism Is Here” – were some of the signs visible this afternoon at the East End Beach where about 100 people gathered to celebrate the Tax Day Rally. Later in the Day, there was another much larger rally held on the Maine State Pier at the bottom of the Hill. There were reports of rallies sponsored by companies in private tax parties in local restaurants.

While the Rally was billed as non-partisan there were plenty of partisans present at the East End Beach. Randy Dominick, a history teacher living in Falmouth addressed the enthusiastic crowd saying: “We need to limit payouts to people like illegal immigrants. The concept that there are some jobs that are beneath Americans bothers me.”

Laurie Brown, also of Falmouth, was the organizer of the event at the East End Beach. She said the government needs to “stop spending our money, our children’s money and our grandchildren’s money.” She said, “I read the stimulus bill and 99% of it should be left out. It’s all about pork and personal agendas.”

Behind the catchy signs, colorful windbreakers and sun glasses there were plenty of partisans angered by President Obama’s policies – both domestically and overseas. One self-identified conservative from Lincoln County said: “This is a good forum to let the government know we are dissatisfied. The govenment is too big.” When MHN asked where budget cuts should be made, he replied: “I don’t think that the average Joe should be expected to make those kinds of choices. It’s too deep for him.”

Not everyone in the crowd agreed with the Rally. “I don’t know what to think of this,” Kathleen Iselin, also of Falmouth said. “I don’t like to get out here and demonstrate like this. I’d take a different route.”

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By Carol McCracken

The areas first tattoo parlor opened yesterday. The Squid & Whale Tattoo Shop opened without a lot of fanfare, but the two women owners are confident that will change soon. The Shop is located at 181 Congress Street and replaces the Filament Gallery formerly located there.

“We are inviting the community to come in and take a look around and get acquainted with us and what we do,” said Hanna one of the owners. The two do mostly traditionally inspired tattoos. They invite the public to come in and talk to them about the designs in which they are interested. They are always interested in new ideas. At that consultation, costs to the consumers can also be agreed upon. Walk ins are accepted, but they prefer appointments. This way they can give more attention and thought to designing the tattoo.

Cyndi, a former professional photographer, says the Shop will also host art shows beginning on June 1. They are going to continue to be part of the First Friday Art Walk that was a tradition at the Filament Gallery. The Shop will hold rotating art shows.

The two were previously employed at Just Good Tattoos located at the State Theater until mid-February when the shop relocated out of town.

The phone service is not expected to be installed for another several weeks at least. When it is, the number is (207) 699-4192. The Shop’s hours are Tuesday-Thursday; noon until 6:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday; noon until 8:00 p.m. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

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By Carol McCracken

Retired building contractor Bill Sheeley believes that the entire narrow gauge railroad collection belongs in Bridgton where much of it once ran as part of the Bridgton & Saco River Railroad. He believes that so strongly that last summer Sheeley formed an organization, Return of the Rails, to accomplish that goal. He says that he has the support of the residents of Bridgton; they want it running down the main street of Bridgton.

In a telephone interview with Sheeley from his home in Georgia, he said that when he learned last year that the Portland Complex property was for sale, he reasoned that no prospective developer would want to purchase a mini- railroad as well. The mini-railroad would need to find a new home and that the most logical home for it would be in Bridgton. However, Phin Sprague, Jr. has always been clear that a prospective purchaser would have to meet certain conditions for a deal to be made.

There are three conditions a purchaser would have to agree to. First, Sprague would need to maintain management of the marina he manages on the property. Second, a purchaser would have to restore the aged buildings left over from its glory days as the center of manufacturing in Portland. And finally, that the mini-railroad would remain on the property and not be run off the property. “That remains to be seen,” said Sheeley. Sheeley summers in Bridgton.

Sheeley was part of the original “ Great Train Robbery” caravan that moved the narrow gauge trains up to the Portland Complex on Fore Street back in September of 1993. A group of rail enthusiasts led by Phin Sprague, Jr. purchased the antique cars from the Edaville Railroad in South Carver, Massachusetts. It had been a major tourist attraction for many years on a cranberry plantation near Cape Cod. The plantation was owned by Ellis D. Atwood, a principle in Ocean Spray Cranberry. Atwood rounded up all the cars he could find in western and northern Maine. Following World War II, he transported them to South Carver to help work the plantation. However, he found that his friends liked to take a leisurely ride through his fragrant cranberry bogs. He saw the potential for a tourist attraction and took advantage of it. It ran for years successfully as a theme park.

In 1950, Atwood died of an accident unrelated to the trains. Therefore, the “Christmas Festival of Lights” was dedicated in his memory. Because of internal problems, the line came up for sale. The wealthy Sprague Family, of Cape Elizabeth, decided to return the railroad to its native state. That’s when the “Great Train Robbery”, as railroad volunteers nicknamed the event, came about. Incidentally, several of the trucks that participated in the original move from Maine to Massachusetts also participated in the move of the trains from Massachusetts back to Maine in 1993.

From the observation of this former mini-railroad volunteer and watcher, MHN suggests that for the Sprague Family this long-time struggle to find a niche in Portland for the mini-railroad may be just as much about legacy as anything else. Even money is secondary here.

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