July 2010

Kristen Desrosiers and Nick Daly - Winners in the Peaks to Portland

For the second year in a row Nick Daly won the Peaks to Portland race – his time was 45 minutes and 22 seconds. Kristen Desrosiers, 19, came in first for women. It was her first Peaks to Portland race, although she is an established swimming competitor.

Hundreds turned out for this fundraiser – to greet and support friends and relatives who emerged victoriously from the calm & warmish waters of Casco Bay under a rainbow of colorful balloons. Each of the 193 swimmers were greeted by Y staff and volunteers with a “good job” and check to make sure they were alright. Several were given an assist as they were wobbly on their feet after the 2.4 mile swim from Peaks Island to East End Beach, by Terry Swann, aquatic director for the Y.

Merry Farnum, 57, who swam without a wet suit said she’s been swimming in this race for 23 years. She said the conditions were very good; the water was flat and there was no current. She had a Hershey bar for breakfast and recommends it. Another swimmer was Irwin Gratz, of Maine Public Radio. At 53 years old, he was swimming for the 7th year. According to his wife, Bonny Rodden, who is on the town council, in Falmouth, he swims year round.

The race was a fundraiser for the YMCA located at 70 Forest Avenue. Proceeds from the event are used to enable people who could not otherwise afford it to become members.

Please visit www.cumberlandcountymca.org

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By Carol McCracken (Post # 530)

The 69th annual Peaks to Portland (East End Beach) swimming race is set to go off tomorrow am – just as it has for 68 years before.

Two hundred and eight people have signed up for the 2.4 mile at a registration cost of $150. each. The proceeds of this fundraiser pay for the scholarships that the Cumberland County YMCA provides for those would not otherwise be able to be a Y member. The Y provides scholarships for 2 out of every 5 members of the non-profit.

One of this year’s swimmers is Cyrus Hagge as he was last year. In fact, this annual fundraiser is now named for Hagge who is also a Hill resident. Swimmers will take the 6:45 am ferry to Peaks Island.

Debbie Reed, director of the race, and wellness director for the Greater Portland YMCA said this afteroon that the starting gun goes off on Peaks Island tomorrow morning at 8:30 am. Swimmers should start arriving at East End Beach around 9:30 am.

“We encourage people to show up to cheer the swimmers on,” she said. “Every summer the date of the swim varies because the swimmers need to have the tide going with them.”

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By Carol McCracken (Post # 529)

The public is invited to attend a brief ceremony to unveil two kiosks depicting the history of the Cumberland & Oxford Canal at the Fore River Sanctuary. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 28 at 5:30 pm. Please meet at Frost Street Trail head at the parking lot on the corner of Frost and Congress Streets for the event that is hosted by Portland Trails.

The remnants of the Canal can still be identified at the Fore River Sanctuary. It was the primary form of transportation used in the early 19th century to ship goods from merchant ships in Casco Bay through Sebago Lake to the Bridgton Area. Horses pulling the canal boats would walk along “tow paths” adjacent to the canal, while a series of locks and gates were used to raise and lower water levels in the canal.

Steve Aylward and Joel Eastman, Portland Trails volunteers, worked together to put these informative kiosks together and will lead a guided walk of the canal after the unveiling of the koisks.

For more information, please call Rachael at (207) 775.2411 or visit www.trails.org

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Handwritten Petition That Opposes Relaxation of Ordinance That Would Permit More Pleasure Craft

At the CDC meeting on Wednesday, July 14th, the Committee decided it wanted to look at several matters before them related to the WCZ text amendment on their own before passing judgment on them. In order to do that, the CDC will require another meeting prior to the city council’s meeting for approval. The City has just announced a revised and tentative schedule for the remaining meetings on the Waterfront Central Zone. They are as follows:

AUGUST 9. City Council Workshop, Council Chambers, 2nd floor, city hall, 5 pm Public welcome, public comments not generally taken at council workshops.
AUGUST 11. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Room 209, City Hall 5 pm
AUGUST 16. City Council public hearing, council chambers, 2nd floor city hall, 7 pm Public welcome, public comments taken.

The additional CDC meeting on August 11 will give members of the CD Committee one more opportunity to weigh in on the Portland Society of Architects request that the city council consider allowing the construction of residences on the WCZ. This request by the PSA was not part of the pier owners original text amendment request. According to Steve DiMillo of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant this request by the PSA “has muddied up the waters.”

Seventy fishermen signed a handwritten petition delivered to the city hall yesterday opposed to a proposal in the text amendment by the pier owners to allow pier owners to lease more space to pleasure boats. The petition said in part: “There is a shortage of commercial berthing and any “sharing” of existing berthing is a very real threat to the continueing economic viability of the working waterfront. The 1992 zoning ordinances for commercial berthing must remain the same.”

DiMillo responded: “I can’t imagine how they managed to get that much ink for such a small impact on commercial docking. The group is making a mountain out of a mole hill.” (DiMillo was referring to an article in today’s “Portland Press Herald” Fishermen Unite for a Fight.”)

Mr.Willis Spear, who organized the petition drive, could not be reached for comment.

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