Beyond the South End

 

By TED SYLVESTER

This column, written for the March 16, 1973 Bangor Daily News, includes the history of our present Memorial Pier and its tie to the ambulance service in Rockland. The pier is where Lobster Festival activities take place every year.

Dramatic physical changes to the Memorial Pier at the public landing are in the planning stages by the Seafoods Festival Corp., an authoritative source told us this week.

Being considered is a face lifting of the Memorial Pier complete with a roof. The plan is to give the stage area an amphitheater effect. The stage area also would be completely resurfaced. It is our understanding that the project is in the hands of an architect to come up with sketches to be presented for consideration.

Previously presented for council approval were plans to rebuild the ramp in back of the stage into permanent steps.

The pier is the center of attraction during the festival, both the coronation and stage entertainment.

The newest idea to roof the stage came after the council rejected the Festival Corporation’s offer of a new ambulance at a cost of about $15,000. A prerequisite was, you remember, that the city agrees to cross city lines with the ambulance. This was something the council refused to do.

Every time the question of ambulance service pops up, the theory that the new Penobscot Bay Medical Center scheduled to be built at Glen Cove would be the ideal location from which to operate an ambulance service for the entire mid-coastal area is presented. We asked Executive Director Lee Pridgen if this was a probability.

Pridgen said the question of ambulance service had been quite thoroughly discussed. He said it was the opinion that once Pen Bay is built—operation is some two years away—the center could act as a coordinator for ambulance service for the entire area. Pridgen said, however, it was the opinion—and the opinion of those in the ambulance business--that the base of the ambulances themselves should be in the respective communities much as it is now.

The director noted that if the area wanted PBMC to act as the center for ambulance service he is sure that it would be considered.

Lockup “Adequate”

Sheriff Carlton V. Thurston is pleased with the report received this week concerning his jail. In the words of State Jail Inspector, Richard P. Haskall, “although it is a small facility, it certainly appears that it can become one of the better lockup and holding facilities within the State of Maine.”

Sheriff Thurston said that all deficiencies which were cited in 1971 had been corrected. The only deficiency noted this time was in the area of food services where the inspector noted that there should be at least a three-week menu written in advance.

Further noted by the inspector was “this jail is exceptionally clean, the kitchen and eating area are outstanding in all respects, and the administration of this facility is certainly noteworthy.”

Recommendations for the Knox jail were:

“Serious consideration should be given by the sheriff and county commissioners in obtaining an acceptable area for women and juvenile inmates.

“More time and effort should be spent in the area of rehabilitation and recreation.”

Other recommendations concern changes inside the jail to meet standards for county jails. Included are practically all changes which the sheriff has recently proposed. Besides a new women’s and juvenile quarters, there are recommendations for new locks, exhaust ventilation, beds, sufficient storage area, adequate space for consultation and visiting, and necessary equipment for bathing and disinfection of prisoners.

The county commissioners are scheduled to tour the jail facility Tuesday. The sheriff is seeking $15,000 which he feels can be matched with federal funds.

Fly to Florida—Forget It!

We have a friend—who shall remain nameless—who recently vacationed in sunny Florida. In itself that’s not too newsworthy, but his experiences getting there and back, well that’s something else again.

Having a distrust of those flying machines, our friend nevertheless was persuaded to take to the airways. The day of departure came and with it also came snow squalls. Fly in the weather, forget it!

After motoring to Portland, a flight to Boston was scheduled. Our friend was miserable, according to our information. So at Boston it was enough of that, it was the train for him. Never mind that his friends arrived in Florida a day and a half ahead of him.

On the return home, he left a couple of days early and we imagine enjoyed the train ride. His friends came via airways again.

On Wednesday morning of this week the national news carried stories and pictures of a derailed Florida-bound train—the same route our friend had used—in which 19 vacationers were injured.

We asked him what he thought about train travel now. He stood by his convictions and said as far as he was concerned it was still the only way to travel. We have to admit that also reported beside the train accident story was one concerning a plane crash in which two fatalities occurred.

Beat the Meat Prices

Want to beat the high price of meat? The Maine Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries have some suggestions.

The Maine agency notes that, through an extensive survey of European markets, that Americans tend to shun many sea foods which are relished in other countries.

Some species mentioned were mussels. It is claimed that meals of high protein for under $1 could feed three to five persons. Another is skates. With required processing, these rival the flavor of scallops and sell for more than $2 per pound abroad, the report stated.

Another product mentioned is dogfish. A portion of the dogfish is smoked and sold in Germany for up to $2.50 per pound while all of the dogfish is utilized as a finfish in other parts of Europe. It is commonly used for fish and chips in England.

One of the most sought after species abroad is the common eel. According to the report, smoked eel has frequently sold for twice and three times the going price for live lobster in many foreign countries.