August 2009

By Carol McCracken

The public is invited to attend a celebration to commemorate the completion of the new Ft. Allen Park Trail next month. On July 1st this summer, a ’fence cutting’ ceremony was held to open a new path between the Park and the Waterfront.   This event is  also a funddraiser to raise money to purchase plants to landscape the trails.

The fundraiser will be held on Thursday, September 17th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum at 58 Fore Street.  Price of admission for this event is on a sliding scale; $20.00, $50.00 or $100.  Please call Brown Bag Tickets for tickets – 1-800-838-3006 or visit http:/friendsofeasternpromenade.org/

There will be a communithy celebration held from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the bandstand at Ft. Allen Park on the Eastern Promenade.  Admission is free.

The event is sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade, Portland Trails and the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum.

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Laundry Day

By Carol McCracken

The most recent message received from the owner of the researach vessel Gambo, was:  “Are You Ready For Us?”  The owner’s name is Dr. Alun Hubbard, a glaciologist.  Gambo is leaving Greenland on Friday, August 28th.

This email was received by Phin Sprague, Jr., manager of Portland Yacht Services, from Dr. Hubbard last week.  Sprague says the yard is ready for the Gambo’s arrival in mid-September ’09.  The Gambo will be hauled  immediately upon her arrival and stored inside one of the storage sheds at Portland Yacht Services, “PYS” for the winter.

The 45 ft. cutter Gambo left PYS on July 14 for the west coast of Greenalnd to conduct climate change research on a major glacier on the western coast.  She had a crew of five.  One woman, a high school English teacher from southern Maine, disembarked the Gambo when she arrived at St. Anthony’s Harbor, Newfoundland, in a pre-planned half way stop.  This is the first year of a two year project funded by NASA and the British government, predominantly.  She had expected to leave PYS on July 10 but was delayed by the slow arrival of equipment necessary to make the roughly two week + journey. Despite the delay in departure from PYS, she arrived in Greenland pretty much on schedule – around August 1.  The Gambo arrived at PYS on June 17 from South America in  need of major repairs to make the trip to Greenland to do the research.

“I’m look forward to greeting the Gambo and her crew when they arrive here,” said Sprague.  “We’ll take excellent care of her for Dr. Hubbard.”

Please see previous posts on MHN about the journey of the Gambo to Greenland on June 28th and July 14th.

Please Google Gambo and/or Dr. Alun Hubbard for more details.

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Charles Bragdon, Candidate for City Council, District 1

By Carol McCracken

The two members present of the Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass the Taxi Advisory Committee proposal and forward it on to the full city council for consideration next month. (Councilor Cheryl Leeman was absent.) Councilor Kevin Donoghue is chair of the Transportation Committee.

The Advisory Committee would “create an effective taxi board that would unite the fractured industry and make sure the public interest would once again be served,”  said Charles Bragdon, who proposed the Committee idea originally earlier this year.  Later, on June 16th, Bragdon submitted  a comprehensive proposal setting forth “clear guidelines on how the board should be run; including duties and responsibilities,” to the Transportation Committee.   Bragdon wanted a nine member board while Donoghue and John Anton, opted for seven members.   That would eliminate two board members from the public sector that Bragdon had wanted to insure adequate public feedback on transportation matters.  Contrary to Donoghue, Bragdon also wanted the board members to be picked by the transporation industry and not by the city itself.

Charles Bragdon is a candidate for District I city council this fall.  He owns his own taxi company as did his father before him. He’ll be facing the incumbent councilor Kevin J. Donoghue.  The latter is known for his wide-spread abrasiveness as well as his green agenda.   (Paul Farrell who was considering a run for the seat as well withdrew yesterday.) 

The immediate and most contentious issue separating Donohue and Bragdon was whose idea was this Committee?  In the opening moments of the meeting, Donoghue tried to establish that he was the originator of the Committee idea.  However, he backed down sheeplishly when a women taxi driver, Julia,  called him out on it.  On June 16th, Bradgon presented a comprehensive document to create this commission and submitted it to the Transportation Committee.  Donoghue embraced the idea countering with his own watered-down proposal.  For that action, Donoghue credited himself for the proposal.

Could this be the beginning of a David and Goliath political struggle right straight through to November 3rd?!

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By Carol McCracken

Paul Farrell withdrew  as a candidate for District 1 city council in the November 3rd election as of yesterday.  Farrell returned documents to the city clerk’s office which were incomplete, which indicates that he’s no longer a candidate for the office.  Farrell lost in his bid for a seat on the charter commission.

City councilor Kevin J. Donoghue will be running in  the  fall election against Charles Bragdon.  Bragdon has not run for elected office previously.  Donoghue who is known for his abrasive personality as well as for his progressive agenda is the front runner.

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