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My name is Keith Michaud and this is “Letters From Away,” a blog written by a Mainer living outside the comfortable and sane confines of New England. The blog is intended for Mainers, whether they live in the Pine Tree State or beyond, and for anyone who has loved ’em, been baffled by ’em or both. Ayuh, I am “from away.” Worse still, I live on the Left Coast – in California. Enjoy! Or not. Your choice.
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Tag Archives: Portland Harbor
Where is Ram Island light?: Newly sold lighthouse to be added to the tax rolls of Cape Elizabeth or Portland | Portland Press Herald
Ram Island Ledge Light
Ram Island Ledge Light will move onto the tax rolls because of its pending sale from the federal government to a doctor from Windham.
The question is, which tax rolls?
According to the online auction site set up by the U.S. General Services Administration, the lighthouse is at the entrance to Portland Harbor, off Cape Elizabeth.
The site says its street address is “Cumberland County,” and the city is Cape Elizabeth.
That’s news to Cape Elizabeth’s town manager.
“We don’t believe it’s in Cape Elizabeth,” said Mike McGovern. “We believe it’s in the city of Portland.”
Portland’s tax assessor, Richard Blackburn, said McGovern is probably right.
“There have been some questions” about which municipality the lighthouse is in, Blackburn said, and those questions have never been answered.
Click for the rest of this story by Edward D. Murphy in the Portland Press Herald.
‘Who wouldn’t want to own a lighthouse in Maine?’ | Portland Press Herald
Bidders drawn by the charm, desire to preserve Ram Island Ledge Light take a closer look at Casco Bay lighthouse
CASCO BAY – From his home in Cape Elizabeth, Scott Raspa can see Ram Island Ledge Light taking a pounding during nor’easters, or standing sentinel in calmer seas
On Thursday, the software consultant joined others on a Coast Guard vessel for a closer view of the lighthouse, about a mile northeast of Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth. The visitors were registered bidders in a federal government auction of the five-story tower, which has helped mark the main channel to Portland Harbor since 1905.
Conserving the lighthouse was a common motive among the bidders. A couple of them also thought ownership of the lighthouse could dovetail with their business plans. One had a notion that it could serve as a bed and breakfast for adventurous types, but wasn’t yet certain what he would do. All seemed charmed by the prospect of owning a wind-swept lighthouse off Maine’s rocky coast.
The Coast Guard doesn’t have the budget to maintain all of the lighthouse towers that house navigational aids, which in this case consists of a light and a foghorn. Under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, lighthouses are offered to groups such as local governments and nonprofits at no cost before being put up for auction. The Coast Guard continues to maintain the navigational aids in lighthouse towers that are sold.
Raspa likes the idea of being the owner of a nearby lighthouse, with all its mystery and history. He doesn’t yet have a concrete plan should that become the case.
“We were thinking about having cocktail parties there. I don’t know if that’s possible,” he said.
Click for the rest of the story by Ann S. Kim in the Portland Press Herald.
Picturesque Ram Island lighthouse for sale, but it’s not for everybody | Bangor Daily News
Picturesque Ram Island lighthouse for sale, but it’s not for everybody – Bangor Daily News
For more information or to place a bid, visit: http://www.auctionrp.com/
Snowe praises Coast Guard’s preparations for spill in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Maine oil skimmer due in Gulf | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Posted in Disaster, Energy, Environment, Maine, Outdoors
Tagged BP, British Petrolium, Gulf of Mexico, Maine Responder, oil spill, Portland Harbor
At last, Maine vessel Sea Hunter offloading Haiti relief supplies | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Maine shipmaster says aye to Sea Hunter mission | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Cost of living: A tale of knowing when to do something
When Mike Breggia saw three kids push a homeless man into Portland Harbor on a recent Saturday, he didn’t let an 8-foot-tall razor wire fence stand in the way of saving the man’s life.
Click on the link for the rest of this column by Bill Nemitz of the Portland Press Herald.
Posted in Maine
Tagged Bill Nemitz, Custom House Wharf, homeless, Mainers, Mike Breggia, Portland Harbor, rescue, teens
Decommissioned aircraft carrier Portland bound?
Maine group advances
in the Navy competition
as it attempts to bring
the USS JFK as a museum
Two Maine groups have passed the first test in its effort to bring the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy to Portland Harbor as a museum.
Three groups submitted initial applications, according to the Navy, and two advanced to the second phase of the process.
One is Maine-based JFK for ME, which has formed a nonprofit organization called the USS John F. Kennedy Museum to pursue the carrier. The identity and location of the second group are unknown, and the Navy is not releasing any information, citing the competitive process.
The initial application, about 25 pages long, addressed the Navy’s questions and concerns, said Dana Slipp, one of the Maine group’s founders. It included a letter of support from the city of Portland, drafted after a 9-0 City Council vote.
“They know we understand the complexity and enormity of bringing a ship like this to Portland,” Slipp said.
The group has until next February to complete its proposal, which will have to include many more details, including a business plan that addresses marketing, income sources, museum plans, waterfront facilities and environmental considerations.
Click on the link for the rest of today’s story by Matt Wickenheiser of the Portland Press Herald.
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