Elizabeth Dickerson, Rockland Maine City Councilor

Index Page Archive, Feb 26-March 5

2011-03-05T10:49:00.006-05:00

Good Morning- I'll be in Augusta today, (February 26) Live Blogging and Tweeting and Facebooking.

Please join us. We will be there in support of the courageous legislators in Wisconsin, and the thousands upon thousands of people who are demonstrating in that state in support of public workers.

This is not about overpaid public workers. This is about a governor copying the bad behavior of corporate America: they offshored what jobs they could in order to increase their profits, but they can't offshore teachers. So what do they do? They try to turn us against each other, rather than face their own greed.

We can't let a governor in Wisconsin erase a proud history of worker's rights: it's what our nation is built on.

Please join me by signing up here: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=238

Or, just show up. We'll be on the State Capitol steps. Be sure to wear Wisconsin Badger colors—red and white—to show your solidarity.

RSU 13 School Board Meeting, 6.30 PM, Thursday March 3, at the McLain School, Lincoln Street, Rockland.

Download the agenda HERE

Budget Season is Coming...Check out City Manager Rosemary Kulow's Letter. It says it all.

And it's even worse this year. Which is one of the reasons I am going to Augusta today.

I want to share with you a letter that our city manager, Rosemary Kulow, wrote to our state representative, Ed Mazurek, and our state senator, Chris Rector. The letter sets the stage for what we municipal officials are about to have to contend with. We can't continue to try to balance the state budget on the backs of municipalities. We can't balance the budget on the backs of teachers and public workers. We have to be more courageous than this. So- Read Rosi's letter for yourself to see what we are about to be up against.

Good Afternoon,

Today I am writing to impart that the City of Rockland is vehemently opposed to the proposal in the Governor’s budget to limit Revenue Sharing funding to municipalities to $94 million for the next biennium, as it represents a large cut in revenue sharing compared to what would be provided under current law. $94 million is more than $42 million short of what would be provided for property tax relief under current law, and would therefore, place an even higher tax burden on property owners in Maine municipalities.

We also strongly oppose the Governor’s intention to discontinue the municipal revenue sharing program as an actual sharing program and replace it as a year-to-year appropriation. This tenuous position would make it extremely difficult for municipalities to plan its revenue base from year to year and cause greater distress on the financial condition of all Maine municipalities.

We hope that you will support our position and urge you to vote against this devastating change in long-standing policy. Municipalities are already the most efficiently operated governmental units in the state, and to further slash their resources would be extremely hurtful to Maine people and the state’s economy.

We appreciate your time, service, and consideration of Rockland’s position on this issue and trust that you will support the position of the people of Maine.

Sincerely,
Rosemary E. Kulow, City Manager
City of Rockland
270 Pleasant St.
Rockland, Maine 04841
(207) 594-0300
rkulow@ci.rockland.me.us

Yes, the dump fire that started February 5, 2011 is now out.

Drill Baby Drill? How About Dig Baby Dig?

How can we make lemonade out of lemons in this situation? Is there a way that we could tap into the heat in the middle of this pile and use it for something constructive? Certainly a commentary on our culture, this continuing pile of refuse that we toss into a hole in the ground is also quite hot, as evidenced by the continuing fires this month. But what if we could figure out how to do something with that heat? What if we could bury water circulating pipes that carried the heat OUT of the landfill, thereby reducing the risks of fire, and pulling out the heat to use?

Maybe it sounds crazy, but I watched someone draw that plan out for me on a piece of scrap paper the other day. He said, look, it's a good thing it's hot inside that pile. You could actually DO something with that heat. You could heat something. Grow something with the heat.

The plan involved sinking in vertical coils of piping that circulated water. The water would conduct the heat away, and not only would it keep the dump from getting too hot, it would give us heat.

What are we going to do about this situation? Really, this sounds like about the most sane thing I have heard. It isn't sane to be piling up garbage and construction demolition debris, and burying it, and thinking that we aren't going to suffer some sort of continued environmental damage, either through poor air quality due to fires, or ground water contamination. But, we continue to do this, and we don't question our sanity.

What else can we do? Well, that is exactly the question. What else, indeed.

The Marsars Sled...A Reality.

Today, 20 or so of our public safety employees trained with a professional who trains the Coast Guards, Navy Seals, and Navy pilots: meaning, the service women and men who go in the water in all weather to rescue those in need. In the morning, there was a classroom training, and then in the afternoon, they hit the- well- beach.

Thank you to all those who made this possible financially, spiritually, and physically. Big Love.

Feb 21 Website Archive, Homepage

2011-02-21T08:27:00.004-05:00

Yes, the dump fire that started February 5, 2011 continues to burn off and on.

I'm putting this picture here as a reflection on us, as a culture. This is OUR garbage. This is us, deciding to let outside companies bring huge trucks full of garbage to our land, and dump it in. This isn't a reflection on the workers who struggled to contain the fire. This is me saying the responsibility is with us. Will we choose to change? We can do it. It's not easy, but we have to try.

An underground fire started in the quarry, below the bridge. By noon today, Rockland FD and the Solid Waste Staff had it out. If you tried to do your Saturday errands, you found out that there was the ladder truck, on the bridge, and you had to go around and into town, and come back up Limerock Street. The main inconvenience to people seemed to be the fact that we only have one "Detour" sign. At least, that was the complaint that was heard, standing on the bridge. It's true. We only had one. However, that was the smaller of the problems, and I am happy to report that the fire is now out, and our staff did a great job dealing with it. I'm not going to editorialize here about my feelings concerning our throw-away society, and the fact that I still don't believe it's a good idea or proven safe to be rapid filling with demolition debris. This morning, I felt angry, because I thought I was about to encounter another Cayahoga River. (If you know what that is.) But, I am every bit as responsible for the mess this planet is in as anyone else. I'm trying, but, is it enough? No, probably not. What would we, as a society, DO with all the stuff in the quarry, if we couldn't throw it in there? What would we do as a city if we did not have the revenue from the quarry?- a question that you have all heard me blaze away on many may times. I've attacked it politically, I've stood on the bridge and cried, and armed with spreadsheets have tried to convince it doesn't make financial sense in the long term. However, today, we had our city workers in that pit with all that filth, putting ou a fire. Now, what can we do so that they never have to do it again? What could we do as a community to make a new commitment to a world without waste?

In the meantime, thank you once again, Rockland FD and Solid Waste. But let's not forget, people, what that stuff looked like when they dug it out to put out the fire, and what it smelled like.

Regular Council Meeting

Monday, February 7, 7 P.M.
If you would like to look at the materials for the meeting, you can download them HERE.

We will again take up the Bartlett Woods addition, and the questions I have about that project are, again, whether the two parcels have been joined together to make the setbacks legal yet, how the project affects the drainage in the area, and the effects the project will have on the residents.

At a joint Planning Board and Comprehensive Panning Committee meeting on January 18, Kyle Swan, a member of the board, made the excellent suggestion that a noise and impact plan be put together for the protection of the residents, considering that the noise of construction could better be managed. Planning Board indeed made that recommendation, and you can read a draft copy of the minutes from the meeting HERE

I can't believe how many of you are telling me you can't wait to get chickens...

Another item of note is the Chicken Ordinance. When I first got on council, I was asked by a constituent to consider drafting an ordinance that would make it reasonable and possible for people to have chickens in Residential A and AA zones. With our current trend toward the local food movement, and people getting involved in the production of their own food, it makes all kinds of sense. There are many well-thought out provisions to make it all work, which you can find in the agenda setting materials. Kevin Beal, our city attorney, helped out with the drafting. We both found existing ordinances, since several towns have been changing rules to allow fowl. We thought about what would work for Rockland, and if you have any feedback, by all means, step over to city council chambers Monday night.

Where Do I Go Now Teen Homeless Awareness Project

This group will be applying for a permit for an event in Chapman Park (next to the Rite Aid in March. Their application will b reviewed at council tonight.
If you are interested in teen advocacy, or want to know more, please attend. Contact information is Tracey Rescigno at
wheredoigonowmaine@gmail.com

The Marsars Sled...A Reality.

    This moment makes me very, very happy, and I thank the community members who pitched in financially and physically with all my heart. I felt very proud of our fire and EMS department, watching this training, because our women and men are simply the best they can be. I am sitting here in my warm house typing this, while Public Works is out there YET AGAIN in another snowstorm, plowing. It makes me really proud to be a Rockland City Councilor.

         Today, 20 or so of our public safety employees trained with a professional who trains the Coast Guards, Navy Seals, and Navy pilots: meaning, the service women and men who go in the water in all weather to rescue those in need. In the morning, there was a classroom training, and then in the afternoon, they hit the- well- beach.

         Thank you to all those who made this possible financially, spiritually, and physically. Big Love.

Week of January 3, 2011

2011-01-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

Download the entire agenda for the January 3 agenda setting meeting, which was Monday Night, January 3, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, HERE

A presentation from Rodney Lynch from the Community Developement Department about a grant application that is going in for March 2011, to continue the Downtown Facade improvement program. Local businesses will be providing much of the matching money, and some TIF money is being proposed to be used, instead of using CDBG money. The reason being that TIF money is supposed to be used to plow back into infrastructure improvemnts in the TIF districts, and this way, CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) will still be available for other projects in the community at large.

If you are interested in reading Rodney's memo, and/or attending the meeting, here is the memo for more information.

Community Development Memo

But Wait, There's More..

We're also going to be having a discussion with the Department Heads about goals for the coming fiscal year. That's right, it's going to be time to start building the budget already. I'm not sure how we are supposed to deal with a Community Development presentation, a discussion with the department heads about goals for FY 2012, and also set the agenda for the regular council meeting, but come on down if you've got some ideas for goals you'd like to see approached in the coming fiscal cycle.

Planing Board Meeting:

Download the agenda for the meeting, which was January 4, 7 PM, in Council Chambers, HERE

Old business includes a revisit of the Turning Tide Methadone Clinic, review of number of clients as related to parking. The board will also Sign Approved Plans: “Site Plan” for ADZ – 250 Main St.; and Consuela Juntura – 743 Main St. ADZ is the new building that Lyan Morse is putting up where Hollydach's was. Consuela Jutura is the little restaurant up by US Cellular.
The board will meet next on January 18 at 7 PM to review contract zoning for Bartlett Woods in a joint public hearing with the Comprehensive Planning Commission.

City of Rockland Press Release Pending Downtown Streetscape Improvements

2010-11-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

As the public is aware the City of Rockland has received a $600,000 Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant and $225,000 in Maine Department of
Transportation (MeDOT) grants for Downtown Main Street streetscape and pedestrian
improvements from Limerock Street to North Main Street. The improvements will involve
installing new handicapped accessible sidewalks and crosswalks, resetting existing
or installing new curbs, relocating street lights out of the sidewalks, narrowing Main
Street from Summer Street to North Main Streets, installing new raised crosswalk
to slow speeding traffic along with new trees, landscaping and sidewalk fencing.

On September 15, 2010 four project bids were received ranging from $450,771
to $813,013. The low bidder was Jake Barbour, Inc. (JBI) of Owls Head. JBI has been
awarded the contract for the project. The first part of the project, which includes the
section of Main Street from Summer Street to North Main Street will start the first week
of October 2010 and be substantially completed by November 30, 2010. Part of the
work will include the demolition of existing sidewalks and removal of existing pavement
and replacement with unit paver sidewalks. The project will then pick up again in March
2011 focusing on that section of Main Street from Limerock Street to Rock Coast
Sport and the ally way by 449 Main Street. The entire project will be completed by
June 30, 2011. Because the bids came in lower than expected, additional items will
be added back into the project budget that were previously excluded. In addition to
new crosswalks from Limerock Street to North Main Street, a new crosswalk will also
be installed in front of the Atlantic Bakery and the Strand Theater near the Farnsworth
Museum.

During construction there will be a Project Superintendent from JBI on-site as
well as a project engineer provided by Wright-Pierce Engineering of Topsham who will
act as the City’s representative during construction. For more information please contact
Rockland Community Development Director Rodney Lynch at 207-594-0306 or
rlynch@ci.rockland.me.us or Lorain Francis, Executive Director, Rockland Main Street,
Inc. lorain@rocklandmainstreet.com or 207 593 6093.

Maine Walk for Peace, Human Needs and Veterans' Care from Nov. 2-11.

2010-10-03T20:19:00.002-04:00

Veterans for Peace will hold a peace walk through the state called the Maine Walk for Peace, Human Needs and Veterans' Care from Nov. 2-11.
The walk will begin in Farmington Tuesday, Nov. 2, with an election night program that will remind the public of the current costs of war, no matter which political party controls Congress. Most evenings during the walk a program and discussion session will be held at a local church or school.
For full walk schedule and registration information see http://vfpmaine.org/vfp.htm.
The walk will be led by Buddhist monk the Rev. Gyoway Kato, who is with the Nipponzan Myohoji order that does peace walks all over the world. Last April Kato led a similar walk through Maine, calling for an end to the nuclear arms race.
VFP intends to remind the public that thousands of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma are being redeployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Suicides in the military have reached an all-time high.
The peace walk will also focus on the environmental costs of war. From the defoliation of the forests in Vietnam to the oil fires of Kuwait and Iraq, all major wars in the high-tech age, including current conflicts like Afghanistan, have had an unacknowledged casualty: the environment. Unexploded weapons, polluted rivers, contaminated soil and damaged landscapes have all harmed human health, local economies and ecosystems.
"The purpose of this walk, at least for me, is to listen to my neighbors' stories about the impact of these wars on their families and their hometowns. I want to walk, to bear witness, to listen and then to put their stories into the public dialogue about war. I want
to give voice to those whose voices have not been heard," said Maine VFP founding member Doug Rawlings of Farmington.
The peace walk will come to Belfast Saturday, Nov. 6, and to Rockland Sunday, Nov. 7. VFP will participate in the Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11 in Portland
Since 2001 Maine taxpayers have paid $2.8 billion for the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The nation is presently spending $8 billion a month on the Afghanistan war. VFP contends that this enormous spending on war, forcing cutbacks in education, health care, infrastructure and social spending, is a major contributing factor to the economic collapse in 45 states across the nation.
The peace walk will average 16 miles of actual walking each day — because of the great distances between stops, occasional shuttling will be necessary. Some people will walk the entire distance and others will join the walk for an hour, or a day, or several days. The public is invited to join the discussion.

2010-10-01T06:03:00.001-04:00

Quote of the week:

"I'm a disciplinarian and I want your vote," Phillips said.

Michael Phillips is the Republican candidate for sheriff in Knox County.

Later in the article, when talking about whether he would confiscate guns or not-

"They're not taking our guns," Phillips responded.

I'm not sure who "they" is.

Anyway read it yourself:

http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/sheriff-candidates-differ-on-law-enforcement-duties/354636

Community Medication Collection Event – September 25

2010-09-25T08:30:00.001-04:00

The Rockland District Nursing Association (RDNA) and the Rockland Police Department, in conjunction with the US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency, are hosting the “National Take Back Initiative”, a community medication collection event on
Saturday, September 25, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Rockland City Council Chambers, 270 Pleasant St., Rockland
This event is free to all community residents (no facilities). This is a national event; to find other municipalities involved in local collection sites, please visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback
The program is anonymous. Please drop off your unused/unwanted/expired medications (no inhalers or sharps please) for appropriate disposal. This effort will protect our citizens as well as our water supply. Please feel free to share this! FMI: Peta vanVuuren at 594-4522 or Rockland Police Chief Bruce Boucher at bboucher@ci.rockland.me.us

Tucked in, Waiting for the Blow.

2010-09-04T19:03:00.003-04:00

Tucked in, waiting for the blow.

September 4- Terry Pinto took this picture from the Pollution Control Facility. All the boats were hunkered into Lehrman's Cove, waiting out the hurrican that never really materialized. However, everyone had a plan in place. Our life safety departments were ready, and our harbor was ready. It's wonderful that we have this facility now for this use, as well as a great home for the schooners. Everyone did a great job getting ready, which is probably why the storm didn't come...! But thanks to all who are there to protect and serve us in times of disaster.

A Moody Picture to Convey Sadness

2010-08-08T21:27:00.012-04:00

Photo by Larry Pritchett

Matt Simmons, as you have probably heard by now, died at his home on North Haven Sunday, August 8. We thank him for his visionary renovation of the Strand Cinema, which was part of the beginning of the revitalization of Main Street, and which kicked off a whole new pride in our town. He believed in this theatre, and what a community center like a theatre could do for a little city.

His dream was the Ocean Energy Institute, and you can read about all that in many many newspapers. I just want to say, thank you, Matt, for the Strand, if you can hear me wherever you are.

So what about the new dump fees?

2010-07-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

So what about the new dump fees?

I was in favor of pushing for a system that charged for the actual cost of trash, and campaigned on it. I spent years of my life being a militant hippie recycler. I learned the ins and outs of the station, and could recite Dave's costs and budget proposals off the backs of my eyelids. I got told that I am the only councilor who put the Transfer Station on my list of places to learn about, not just campaign at.
I rode around in the garbage truck with Ray Robinson, and talked with business owners and residents for months so that they would understand that it makes more sense to pay a user fee to reflect the true cost of trash, rather than a percentage out of property taxes which has no relation to the amount of trash being thrown away.
However, we are not there yet, and that is why I voted against the new Solid Waste Enterprise Fund system.

The reason I pulled my support of the process is that the new Solid Waste Enterprise Fund became an opportunity to shift costs, and make it seem like there was money to spend as a result. 97,000 got shifted from debt service in the General Fund to debt service in the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, and suddenly, we were told that this meant we had 90 grand to spend in the General Fund.

Another reason I pulled my support was because, in these difficult economic times, it makes more sense to develop the process slowly rather than go to full implementation. Full implementation means collecting, in six years, the money that we think we will need for landfill closure. We think it is going to be around 3 million, but we don't know for sure. We also think we have to close the landfill in six to eight years, but we do not know for sure what the time line is.

I was in favor of fees that allowed us to set aside money for landfill closure, but were low enough initially that businesses, the haulers, and the residents could get used to the new system, and the city of Rockland could work with everyone to iron out the many kinks and unanswered questions still facing us.

My preference would have been to have initially lower fees, so that we could test this out and work with everyone for a while.

And we could have done just that, by setting aside an agreed-upon figure that was less than 454,000 budgeted this year to be reserved for landfill closure. Why not set aside 275,000 the first year, and see how it is going? You're still doing better than only setting aside 77,000, which is what the reserve fund would have been if we had kept the budget based on taxes.

This way, you are giving businesses who are going to take a very hard hit on this a chance to adjust. A chance to look at Green ideas like composting. A chance for the city to try to find ways to help businesses and residents with recycling bins and initiatives. For example, do any of you know how much a three yarder from a restaurant WEIGHS?

I wish that the entire council would come to consensus, rather than a split vote. I felt it was very important for us to show unity during this extremely important shift, and to make sure everyone was comfortable. I wanted to spend time to find out if there were grant programs or monies available to help businesses recycle: for example, is there a program to fund the purchase of recycling bins for Main Street? I wanted to work with Rockland Main Street, with FMC, with business, with residents, and the haulers. We're not there yet, but I won't stop trying.

However, one really good part of this new structure is the optional pay per bag. I pushed extremely hard to make that happen, and knew it would draw fire. However, I have had many emails from people who thanked me for supporting this measure, because they know that it is the most environmentally sound way to approach the problem. It is the only way to put an incentive on recycling.

Since I am an ardent environmentalist, I will tell you to go for the optional pay per bag system, and recycle everything. There's a fine in the fee order of $15 a bag if you don't.

In the meantime, I will continue to focus on recycling bins, and my work with the effort to create a regional composting center, which will really help restaurants and other businesses, as well as residents, to remove the heavier food leavings and trimmings from their trash, and create beneficial organic matter in the process.

Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Comes to Rockland!

2010-07-08T21:09:00.008-04:00

Photo by Larry Pritchett

Highlights of the week:

Placement of the Mississipi Blues Trail Marker

Paul Benjamin and Jamie Isaacson have done it again: not only did they host the 17th North Atlantic Blues Festival this weekend, but they have brought us home the distinct honor of being part of history. This marker was placed on July 8 on the edge of Harbor park, where the fstival is held. These good folks are keeping the tradition alive, and are part of our vibrant summer-full of festivals and activities. Highly recommeded if you have never attended: the club crawl is, I think, the best part in some ways, because we are so lucky to have so many talented musicians right here in Midcoast Maine as well as the big acts.

Financial Incentives to Rehabilitate Historic Buildings: A Practical Regional Workshop for Property Owners

2010-07-07T06:28:00.002-04:00

this is the publicity from a workshop on June 24, but it contains all you need to know if you want to explore this program. Just call Rodney or Lorrain!

For over a century our downtowns and villages functioned as centers for culture, commerce and community before suffering neglect and deterioration. Recently this trend is reversing, due in large part to a confluence of State policy initiates and programs. The 2006 Brookings and GrowSmart Maine Report, Charting Maine‘s Future identified “the revitalization of Maine’s towns and cities” as key for a prosperous future and which was complemented by Main Street Maine, the Governor’s Task Force on the Creative Economy, Quality of Place Council and others.

“Maine does not merely have good revitalization policies, but we wisely adopted tools to implement them”, said Rockland Community Development Director Rodney Lynch, AICP. “For private property owners the most powerful tools are the financial incentives of the State and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs”. To spread this word, Rockland - known as one of Maine’s most successful revitalization examples - will host a regional informational workshop on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 7:00PM , Rockland City Council Chamber, 270 Pleasant Street, Rockland, Maine for owners of property within the downtowns and historic districts of Rockland, Thomaston, Rockport, Camden, Belfast, Searsport, Damariscotta, Wiscasset, Waldoboro and Bath.

The workshop is sponsored by the Rockland Community Development Department, Rockland Main Street, Inc., and Lachman Architects & Planners, providers of comprehensive services for community revitalization state-wide. Denis Lachman will present Dollars & Sense With Rehab Tax Credits – A Practical Workshop for Property Owners. Rodney Lynch will also introduce the potential second Rockland CDBG Downtown Main Street Façade Improvement Grant Program and solicit commitments from Downtown business and property owners to participate in the matching grant program. This program has applicability to other downtowns and historic districts in the region as well.

“Now is the very best opportunity we have seen in years to improve downtown historic buildings”, said Denis Lachman. “While new construction has declined dramatically, rehabilitation in Maine has witnessed a marked increase - stimulated by these incentives”. Maine’s Rehabilitation Incentives include a 25% tax credit or refund, which may be combined with Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits for a total of 45% incentives. “Property owners should keep in mind that the Maine program continues only through December 2013, so those that are eligible must not hesitate, or they might miss this unprecedented opportunity”, added Denis Lachman. According to Lynch, the tax credits can be combined with façade grants to provide additional financial incentives for the rehabilitation of historic buildings.

Rehabilitation incentives can be used for certified code compliance in existing buildings such as elevators, stairs, life safety systems, etc. They can also be used for certified interior improvements such as walls, partitions, floors, ceilings, permanent coverings and infrastructure such as central air conditioning, heating, plumbing, etc. In addition, they can be used for certified exterior improvements such as window, doors, storefronts and masonry.

“Because rehab tax incentives can be used for code, interior, infrastructure and exterior improvements they provide unprecedented opportunities for our older properties to be updated from the 19th and 20th centuries to the 21st century”, noted Denis Lachman.

Financial Incentives to Rehabilitate Historic Buildings workshop is free and open to the public and will be of great interest. For information please contact Rodney Lynch at 594-0306 or email rlynch@ci.rockland.me.us or contact Denis Lachman at 773-3811.

Senator Collins Christens the Cruise Ship Independence

2010-07-04T21:14:00.009-04:00

Christening of the cruise ship Independence

We all got invited down to a christening ceremony on the Fourth of July at the Public Landing. The good ship Independence was christened by Senator Susan Collins, and we were told that the ship's master had named his very first boat Independence, so, this was a particularly auspicious recognition of his career.
It was a truly lovely event- and the hospitality of all involved definitely took the edge off the near 90's humidity!

The Independence is an American Cruise Lines ship, and Charles A. Robertson is the Chairman of the company.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Cruise Ship Welcoming Committee and the City of Rockland hosted the event, starting with a delightful breakfast at the Lighthouse Museum with the ever-popular scones from Frank Isganitis at Limerock Inn. Proceeding to the ship, we were regaled with chocolate strawberries, champagne for those who imbibe, and good cheer.

Thank you again to those of you who put so much hard work into this lovely event.

Guerilla Warfare: Pedestrian Style

2010-06-28T20:15:00.000-04:00

My Route: Down Lake Avenue, Over on Old County Road, Down 17, Down Maverick to the Rockland Plaza Shopping Center.

Let it be known. I am taking back the streets.
Not from violence against women,though I suppose you could say that I am a woman and that there is a certain violence involved here.

Not from gangs, unless you think of constant traffic as some sort of gang.

No, this is not a revolutionary coup, unless of course you consider that I am walking where few dare to walk:

Route 17.

One woman, one dog. One road. A lot of trucks, a lot of cars. My life may hang in the balance.

All right, enough drama. You see, I live on West Meadow Road. If I were sensible, I would walk my dog down the very nice paths where I live, and then get in a car and drive to the grocery store. However, this doesn't make any sense. Why not just walk to the grocery store with my dog, and get exercise and get my groceries at the same time?

Sounds logical, right?

Well, here's how it goes. It starts out innocently enough, as I head down Lake Avenue to the Southeast. (toward the harbor, in other words.) Lake Avenue intersects with Old County Road. This is the first place where trouble can lurk.

Like a Bengali Tiger on an African Safari, a delivery truck can spring out of the dual in and out roads to the convenience store on the corner. Often, too, cars will sprint across these entries and exits as a way to cut off the streetlight. If it's red, why not cut through the parking lot, and get spit out on the other side? You hardly have to brake. There's no sign of any place that a pedestrian is supposed to walk, or that a car is supposed to stay out of so that pedestrians don't get ambushed.

The only way that you can discover how dangerous that it is to walk past this convenience store is to actually walk past it. It's not the fault of the people who own the convenience store, it's the error of all of us, since we rarely alight from our cars. The parking lot is perfectly laid out and planned: for cars.

I know. I am silly. No one hit me, and no one has hit anyone there. What am I talking about anyway? I have made it safely to the intersection of Old County Road and Route 17, and I now look around for some where to stand so that I can attempt to cross the intersection, and continue down Route 17 towards the grocery store. There is no clear alternative. People in cars don't seem particularly sympathetic. I have noticed that, in my continuing saga of Pedestrian Guerrilla Activity, that if there is not a crosswalk in evidence, people in cars will absolutely not stop. It is their right to not stop, since there is no crosswalk. That's the rule of the game. However, WHERE am I supposed to cross? Am I supposed to teleport to the nearest crosswalk, a mile away? The message is clear: no one expects any pedestrians here. You are not supposed to walk. You are weird, probably eat tofu, and probably are also part of a feminist women's drumming group. And you have a little dog.

I decide to just go for it. I wait until the light changes, and then ease out into the road. People look shocked, but, they stop. Somebody beeps their horn, and I am happy to note that they are waving. I don't know who they are, so they must either know my dog or have had the unfortunate luck to have watched late night local access cable television when they had the munchies or couldn't sleep. They seem friendly, so I wave back and press on.

There is a stretch as I continue down 17 that is truly frightening. Trucks barrel down at 50 or 60 miles per hour, and pass within a foot. Cleo is resolute, and would follow me into the gates of hell, which this is certainly rivaling. People stare at us, as though we are an oddity out here on the state highway. Maybe they wonder if I lost my license because of drunk driving. That used to be the thing, if you saw someone riding around on a bike in the winter on the island. That was when everyone was totally irresponsible, no one had a car with working brakes, and there were no stoplights. That was before it was necessary to employ myself in politically active endeavors, and my main ambition was to not eat animals unless I hunted them myself, and pass the long lonely island winters by knitting, drinking red wine, and watching Julia Child. Some of those sweaters were pretty funky.

But no, here I am, not a drop of wine in me, a law-abiding public official, merely attempting to gain the distant goal of the Hannaford Supermarket. With a dog. We walk quickly down, past the quarry. Soon, we reach the small random patch of sidewalk where there are a beagle and a golden retriever, and Cleo goes nuts, barking with them. The sidewalk is like an oasis, and trees hang over, shading us, and we can feel the temperature drop significantly.

However, the small random patch of sidewalk swings around down North Main Street, since Route 17 is really North Main Street now, and the part I need to walk to get to Hannaford is Maverick Street. There is no crosswalk to get across North Main Street over to Maverick. There I stand, a nearly little old lady with my little dog, with my shopping bag and my little old lady hat, and I just about get run over by an actual little old lady in a mini van, who looks completely irritated that I am in her way. I'm not sure what to do, so, when the line of cars coming up North Main Street stops at the stoplight, before pulling out, I step out with my arms outstretched, like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves when he decides to get on the horse and ride out for the Confederates to shoot him so that he doesn't have to have his leg amputated. I don't think I am probably as sexy as Kevin Costner, though.

The truck nearest me stops, and it turns out to be some of the guys from Public Works. "When am I going to get a crosswalk here?" I yell.
They tell me that they don't know, but they seem supportive, which is nice.
"Well, we'll make it happen!" I say, but I am not sure how. It seems so simple, yet so complex. An entire history of vehicular psychology stands between me and the grocery store.

No more random little piece of sidewalk, either. Now I am on Maverick Street, and I have got to run the gauntlet before I get to the worst crossing, which is at Maverick and Birch. There, one of those strange moments in civic road planning occurs: the right of way street bears off in one direction, and the street that you have to stop at the stop sign for is not the right of way street. Plus, there is this huge and amorphous lot of pavement between me and Cleo and the next patch of sidewalk. No one is amused at this intersection. I am truly a stranger in a strange land here. I have stepped off the divide and I have set my Orma 60 due south, and I am about to round the Horn and traverse the Roaring Forties. Or, perhaps you could say that I am within 500 feet of the summit of K2, and I am out of oxygen, my ice pick just fell down a cliff, and I am also out of chocolate.

These are the adventures I find myself on, right in my own hometown. I don't have to go to the far east, I don't have to rival David Attenborough on safari. No- all I have to do is try to go to the grocery store with my dog, and you could say that I have serious thrill-seeking issues.

Once again, I've got to just take that leap of faith and step out into the intersection, and gain the last bit of sidewalk that will guide me to our dinner, merciful, safe, sane. Until of course, I get to the Hannaford parking lot.

You might think me un-American, writing about the tribulations of walking in a world that is dominated by motor vehicles. But, I need to get to the grocery store, and this is where I live. I'm determined not to drive there: after all, it's not even a mile walk, I don't think. I think that if I just keep walking that route, and talking about it, and being excited about the small little adventures and the progress that can be made, then eventually, we'll get sidewalks and crosswalks and trees, and people will feel as though it would be so much more fun to walk, to see each other on a smaller scale, and slow down a little.

June 28- An Event to Shake the Earth Under Rockland

2010-06-28T05:55:00.000-04:00

This event is now over, but if you are interested in this issue, I can put you in touch with Tracey.

Monday, June 28, 2010, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Rock City Coffee (2nd Read) meeting to start @7:15
This just in from Tracey Resigno, who is involved in the Knox Home Heating Group, the Homeless Task Force, among other community groups-
Tracey Sez: "oh yes...Its time... to create another big event! are you ready to be involved in something extremely cool and exciting, an event that will spark our community as we give it the fuel it needs to create space for well needed change.
The meeting will be 1 hr, focused and on task about:
proposal for a weekend event in downtown Rockland. Live music, art, theatre, and film. The subject matter or theme is Teen Home-lessness , and they are out there, about 40 of em in our community, And Family Homeless, most who have lost their homes due to foreclosure, people like you and me.
If you feel motivated, even an inclining, to help get Teens get off the street, and raise awareness about this new acute family home-lessness issue, I invite you to get involved in this project. It is a way for you to take that feeling of I want to do something to help, and put it into action, in a coordinated, well run way. Show up, I promise it will spark your own life."--Tracey

Central Park

2010-06-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

Last night- well, I had everything done to the point that, by 8pm, I was finally able to go walking with Cleo. My entire body ached from hauling dead branches out of the underbrush around a client's tree, mowing lawns, digging, lifting plants, and the like, but, the moon was full, the sky was still tinged pink, and I was determined to head down to the harbor and amble along the boardwalk, and then the new sidewalk at Sandy Beach.

Plenty of people criticize the phrase, "If you build it, they will come," but, at least in the case of the Sandy Beach walkway and park improvements, the people- and dogs- have come in droves. There is a sign that says "No Dogs." I am not sure if that means we aren't supposed to walk our dogs along the path, or they just aren't allowed on the beach and the grass. Terry Pinto, our director of Waste Water Treatment, was instrumental in making this park happen. He used to call me up when I was running for council, and say, "Meet me at Sandy Beach", and I would show up, and there he would be, striding around, about to fill me in on what he thought could happen. That was a happy time, with all the neighborhood meetings, and Rodney and Ann in Community Development getting on board, the plans, the dreams. And now here it is, and look at all the people who use it!

Trouble is, I can't see the moon as well as I could if I were up in the little park at the top of the hill, above Buoy Park. This park is called, amazingly, Central Park. There's a little gazebo in the center, and recently I suspect Terry found some of those white plastic lawn chairs from someplace, so you can actually sit inside the gazebo now. He got Susan to open up a little path to the gazebo, too.

Susan is Susan Beebe, who is now on the Parks Commission, and has taken on Central Park as her baby. The park was planted with several perennial gardens, but, largely not cared for over the years, since no one had any time or the money wasn't there in the city budget. Susan has worked miracles, and the place looks as neat and tidy and full of plants as can be. She's got a sense of whimsy, too, as I notice a large tomato plant growing in the center of a herbaceous border, elegantly winding up a purple wicket. Everyday there is a new plant or twenty, I notice. Now there is a nasturtium along the path, and evidence of fairies, for who else but fairy scissors would pink out the edges of the petals of the pinks? Now, if you understand what I just said, you would have either read Cicely Barker's Flower Fairies books, or you would be old enough to know what a set of pinking shears is AND also understand that the flower called "a pink" or, Latin, Dianthus, has frilled edges that look as though someone took a set of tiny pinking shears to them, secretly.

I think that the previous options in the sentence above are as bad as the kinds of multiple choice tests that high school kids get to take. If you have trouble with selecting the option that is correct, first circle each option with different colored ink, then cross out each option as it becomes less likely. Remember, when you see the word AND in bold face, it means that both circumstances have to be present for the answer to be correct.

I leave off my internal fury at the state of public education for a moment and look at the moon some more. It's just poked out from under a cloud, and the water in the harbor is glowing and glittering. Turning to the mountains behind me, there is still a red and pink tinge in the sky. I love the long twilight of early summer.

Cleo is on to a scent, and tugs at me to head back down to the water. I linger a little bit because really, the chair and the gazebo look about right for how my back is feeling, but, my nine and a half pound mutt is in charge of where we are going and I am supposed to be walking. I leave off the roses and the brilliant fresh Shasta daisies, and follow the wiggling furry blur at the end of the warp line- all I had in the truck by way of a leash. She's sporting Rockland colors anyway- black and orange warp line.

It's tough on the boardwalk with Cleo, since she's so incredibly cute, but so tremendously ferocious. Everyone wants to pet her, and I have to calmly keep her stationed in a way that she won't lunge. If I have time, I politely explain that she is a rescue dog from a worst-case scenario, and that it isn't personal, but she is not safe to pet yet. Sometimes, I get enough time to really explain that, if the person wants to help, they can stand a little distance away and speak to her, so she can feel safe enough to get socialized just that little bit more. Sometimes it doesn't work, and I have to make a hasty exit with her under my arm and her head tucked in so she can't see what she fears. I don't know what it must have been like for her, spending day after day in a crate, unable to even get out to relieve herself. I'm thankful that her former owner realized that she needed better, and brought her to the shelter, along with her mother and brother and sisters. Very thankful. I know her former owner meant well and loved her, but just got into a situation where things were hard to handle and hard to work through, perhaps.

Cleo came to me unable to walk down the street without lunging at people ready to bite, without being house trained, and fearful enough to growl and lunge at everyone in the family except me. I truly didn't know if she would make it without having to be put down for being vicious, but, underneath it all, I knew she was just afraid. I knew that with a lot of patient work, eventually she would heal.

She's made amazing progress. She can make it down the street now quite calmly, and often will stand patiently while I chat with someone. She still struggles hard with Guy's employee, Zack, though yesterday only barked at him and did not lunge or snap. Zack is very patient with her. She loves everyone in the family now, and jumps on the bed in the morning with Guy, and allows him to play with her. He gets down on the floor, and plays a game where he tries to get both her front paws, which she understands. She's incredibly intelligent, and knows what it means to lie down and stay. She's attended a few city events with only a yap or two, and sometimes doesn't go nuts when walking past barking dogs.

Sometimes, people truly don't understand, however, and they think that if I just put her down with another dog, or make her do something, she'll get over it. They don't understand how far she's come, and they don't understand the level of training that has gone into getting her to where she is now. I don't blame the people, but sometimes I think it is hard for us to understand how damaging even a small amount of neglect can be. This past spring, the health teacher at the high school where I work did a unit with the kids on relationships, and we learned that it can take up to ten positive statements to undo the damage of just one negative statement. My little dog has a long way to go still, and she is teaching me to have faith, no matter what. Just four months ago, this dog was literally on death row. I think that there is reason to believe in the inherent good of all beings, and in the truth that we can undo and heal the mistakes of our past behavior.

Cleo and I make it past the boardwalk, and the Sandy Beach walkway, and from there on out it's clear sailing to Snow Park. There's so many people out walking and enjoying the evening. Harbor Park was full of parked cars, with diners at the new Pearl restaurant. Amalfi is cranking on the boardwalk, and the Boathouse is chock full of folks. I think about Rodney Lynch working to get the easement from Dragon so we can extend the sidewalk, and how imperative it is that we connect the dots between Sandy Beach and Snow Marine Park, for recreational purposes but also for economic development purposes. It isn't wasted money, if you think that before the boardwalk and Sandy Beach, there was no conception of restaurants and people in droves out walking and spending a few bucks. MBNA may have kicked in the major money here to start that process, but one can see where it could go: the rest of the way around the harbor.

This is probably too long of a post to tell you about my thoughts for economic development and skilled jobs relating to extending that sidewalk, so, I will take Cleo for her morning walk and tell you about that next time.

Fall in love

2010-06-25T08:39:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to walk up to the lake with Cleo instead of walking down along the Mill Brook. To get to Lake Chickawaukee, you have to go along Lake Avenue, and then turn onto Route 17.

The minute I turn onto Lake Avenue, I can begin to hear the whine of wheels at 70 miles per hour. I think that's what folks hit on the straightaway, anyhow. I just see over the hill to 17, and I see a large pickup truck overtaking a line of cars, passing. There's a stoplight about a quarter of a mile ahead, and who knows how much gas got used for the operation, but, that's where it's at.

Some neighbors of ours are selling their house, and they have already moved out. It's a lovely old cape, but it looks forlorn with no people in it. It would make a wonderful home for a family, but I am not sure who is going to want to live with the constant roar of Route 17 next to them. It's worse than living right in town, I think, because the cars are going so much faster so their tires make more noise, and there are so many more trucks.

The rains have cleared out any humidity, and I can see the lake, sparkling ahead. The day camp kids haven't gotten there yet, and only a couple folks are there, communing with the morning. Cleo and I still have to walk the little stretch of 17 to get to the lake, however, and it's not a very pleasant task. Huge trucks go roaring by within a couple feet. You can feel their back draft push you a little. Ahead, someone is turning left, and a huge line of trucks and cars swings into the shoulder, where we happen to be walking. Realizing that none of them will notice us, and that we stand about as much chance as a porcupine or skunk, we step off into the brush. I look at the people going by. Several of them are on cell phones. I realize that I have a twelve year old son who has never been able to walk to a lake that is within a stone's throw from our home, because he very likely would eventually be hit and killed, considering the speeds of travel, without me walking with him.

We get to the lake, and a little respite from the proximity of the vehicles, anyway, though the constant roar is draining. I wonder how the people at the day camp manage to communicate with each other above it all. My little dog Cleo has never been in water before, and I wonder if there is a "no dogs" sign someplace, and I am now about to be in City Councilor Pergatory because I broke some ordinance or other by letting my dog dip her little feet into the lake, hop into the air with delight, race up the shore, and then race back into the water, tossing herself around with glee. She reminds me to laugh and be joyous when I feel that the problems of the human world are so large and so perplexing.

Some ducks are quacking, and there is a canoe out there, with its occupant standing, pushing the paddle like a pole. It's possible I could follow the little stream that leaves the lake into the marshes and brambles and undergrowth. I've done it many times: bush-wacking my way through muck and mire, often when Rory was little, and I would have to put him up on my shoulders to make the journey. Once I lost a pair of shoes and had to dig them out of the mud. I'm in love with the Mill Brook, and Lindsay Brook, just as much as any woman could fall in love with anything or anyone, and in some ways, sometimes I think it's more useful to love a living, breathing body of water than hold on to some ephemeral fleeting concept of what I think I might get out of chasing around some man. Cute at first, but then I end up angry with him for leaving his laundry in a pile.

Probably I am out here on this little stream so that I can remember that the vagaries of our human anger with one another are as fleeting as our lives and the love we share, but the little rivers and streams hopefully will roll along regardless, unaware of my snitty moment, uncaring about my laundry martyrdom. Hopefully the streams will carry on way longer than us, that is, if we don't manage to destroy and pollute them first.

Cultures older than ours have thought of geographic features on the face of the earth as living, breathing creatures. Entities, in municipal-speak. Something that is not a "thing", and is alive. For how can you harm another living being? Perhaps you can: perhaps you don't care about the legions of snails, crossing Lake Avenue as we wend our way home, about to be helplessly squashed by car tires. But if you thought of Lindsay Brook as a meandering, pleasant young person named Lindsay, eagerly trickling to the harbor in order to go spend a sunny afternoon searching along the shore for sea glass, would you have as easy a time of using her as a conduit for your polluted storm water runoff? Or would you do everything in your power to control and contain storm water runoff from asphalt parking lots and roads? Could you continue to think of her as a "storm sewer"?

I hope not. Before we went out for our walk, Cleo cuddled down at my feet and I read the latest issue of a trade magazine dealing with green innovations in public works and storm water management. Perhaps you are familiar with the new grassy parking areas at the Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Sandy Beach. These parking areas are made of interlocking reinforcing sections beneath the grass that contain gravel, and the grass, so that one can park a car on them and it will not rut up the grass. The method of permeable parking, instead of impermeable asphalt paving, is growing in popularity in urban centers as a way to contain the costs to public works and waste water plants, and to alleviate environmental damage due to erosion and pollution.

In our own city, nearly sixty five percent of the waste water that goes to the treatment plant is storm water runoff. This water has to be treated using your sewer fee dollars, and is discharged into the harbor rather than returned to the fresh water water shed. Not only are we losing the water, but it is being output into the salt water harbor, which is akin to pollution since salt water doesn't want too much fresh water added to it.

Anything that we can do to absorb storm water, through grassy parking areas, tree buckets that absorb rainwater and thereby provide water to street trees, rain gardens in the middle of parking lots that absorb parking lot runoff, planting trees and planting gardens, will cut your costs that you have to pay in your sewer bill, and will protect our fragile streams and lakes, and our fresh water supply. In addition, these efforts create a green, pleasant city that people want to live in and visit.

To that end, I asked the Comprehensive Planning Commission to please add a design standard in the new Neighborhood Business Zone encouraging developers to use permeable alternatives to asphalt paving.

And also to that end, I ask you to go outside and attach yourself to the nearest body of fresh water. It's closer than you think. Trace Lindsay Brook through its tributaries. Go on a voyage like you used to do when you were a little kid, get a stick, and hop around on the rocks. Take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and lose your sneaker in the mud. I ask you to consider opening up our streams, rather than hiding them in culverts and placing them under asphalt paving. Consider falling in love this morning.

Captain Richard Spear Drive- It's official!

2010-06-24T05:57:00.000-04:00

Head down and check it out! it's on Tillson Ave, the street to the new schooner facility and the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Rockland City Council, city officials, and friends and family of Capt. Richard Spear were on hand June 24 for the formal naming of Captain Spear Drive. The road is located on the north side of Tillson Avenue leading to the new schooner marina in Lermond Cove.

Mayor Deborah McNeil said a lot of people worked hard to get the project completed but no one worked as hard as Spear. McNeil worked with Spear for four-and-a-half years while she was Sen. Olympia Snowe's field representative on getting part of a federal channel discontinued so that the schooners could moor in the cove.

Spear has served on Rockland's Port District since 1953, a total of 57 years.

Spear also served as manager of the Maine State Ferry Service for decades.

Summer Solstice: S'Wonderful!

2010-06-19T05:47:00.000-04:00

So much fun to see everyone out having fun on such a lovely night. Thanks, Rockland Main Street and all the civic organizations and city staff and community members who make this possible!

Information about where to find help to weatherize your home and stay warm for less!

2010-06-17T16:29:00.001-04:00

from Representative Pingree-
Stay warm for less-- energy-saving tips and resources
A lot of support and funds have come into Maine in the past year for home and business weatherization. Some is for folks with low incomes, some of it is for small businesses, and some for all Mainers you just need to know where to find it. Unfortunately, it can be confusing to find the programs and funding that may be available to you to help you weatherize your home, save energy, and of course save money.
Representative Pingree has put up some links on her website to assist us in finding the information and resources we need in this department. (Thanks, Chellie, this is a helpful resource)
Click on the link below:
http://pingree.house.gov/issues/energy/stay-warm-for-less.shtml
You can also read about a workshop Pingree's office put on to do with staying warm for less
http://www.pressherald.com/news/officials-tout-programs-for-weatherizing-maine-homes-_2010-03-08.html

Smart Code: What is it?

2010-06-17T16:25:00.001-04:00

Well, it's transect, form based code that takes as its cue the precepts of New Urbanism: and New Urbanism is an urban planning trend focused on replacing sprawl with walkable, mixed use, transit oriented communities.

www.smartcodecentral.org
Concerning the recent forum, "Protecting Small Neighborhoods by Reducing Sprawl (Smart Code) Presented by Robert Orr, FAIA": If you want more information, or to stay in touch, contact smartgrowthrockland@hotmail.com

We had 114 people attend the workshop on Smartcode!! Thank you!

Given by Robert Orr, FAIA,
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Rockland City Hall

Sponsored by the
Rockland Comprehensive Panning Commission

As the failures of uncontrolled sprawl development are
becoming more clear, more and more Americans are
seeking a return to an in-town lifestyle, one designed for
pedestrians and not automobiles. To safely walk to
neighborhood businesses for goods and services is a key
component in attracting these returning village dwellers,
but allowing for such development is often at odds with
current zoning practices.

Robert Orr will discuss ways in which communities can,
by rethinking traditional approaches to zoning, provide a
framework that encourages more mixed-use development
oriented to foot traffic, which enhances a neighborhood's
quality of life. His presentation will include examples of
designs to be avoided as well as emulated, and also how
New Urbanism can be adapted to existing cities and
towns.

Robert Orr FAIA is an award-winning architect, Smart Growth
,
planner and one of the originators of New Urbanism, which
aims to create walkable, mixed-use, neighborhoods. His
collaboration with Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk at
Seaside, Florida in 1982 was honored by Time Magazine as
"...the most astonishing design achievement of its era and one
might hope the most influential." A Founder of the Seaside
Institute, a think-tank on community design, Robert also serves
on the Board of the New Haven Town Green Special Services
District, Liberty Community Services (providing housing for
homeless with AIDS), 1000 Friends of Connecticut, the Vestry of
Trinity Church on the Green and many other vision-based
organizations in Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Vermont and Connecticut. He received his MArch from Yale
and his BA from the University of Vermont. A practitioner,
professor, lecturer, and writer, Robert lives with his wife and four
children in New Haven, Connecticut.
More info contactsmartgrowthrockland@hotmail.com

Gateway One: Rockland Signs on!

2010-06-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

Well, we signed on a while ago, but, it's taken me this long to find a rainy day to make a blog and fix my site. So here's the scoop:

Curious about what Gateway 1 is? www.gateway1.org
As a result of conflict over years of road widening and land use planning decisions, a number of midcoast residents who had been part of MaineDOT's regional transportation advisory committees knew that a different method of land use and transportation planning had to be developed. Gateway 1 was launched as a result. The committee participants believed that a more collaborative approach would be effective. MaineDOT also wanted to find a better way to work with the communities in the midcoast, and needed to find a way to plan for the Corridor as a whole. As population growth and development in the midcoast accelerated, MaineDOT found that transportation decisions were becoming reactive, not proactive. A forum that would combine land use and transportation planning was essential to keeping Route 1 functional. And so, late in 2004, MaineDOT, the State Planning Office and the Federal Highway Administration launched Gateway 1.
By the end of 2005, the 21 Corridor towns had all signed a Memorandum of Understanding and elected representatives to a Steering Committee, which spent from 2005 until the summer of 2009 developing planning materials and implementation strategies. MDOT agreed to provide competitive grant funding for towns and municipalities that sign on to the Gateway 1 memorandum of understanding, and work within the sensible growth and transportation planning guidelines of the Gateway 1 planning document. Rockland has signed on, which will give us considerable assistance both in being able to use the planning documents, which are very good, and to having access to the competitive grant process and collaborative planning with the communities around us.
There is also funding for planning, which is not competitively granted, but which is granted to the twons and municipalities when they sign on to the memorandum of understanding. This funding is making it possible for us to hire a professional planner.
I am a member of the Rockland Response Panel. Each community has a panel that responded to and voted on the Steering Committee recommendations.
This kind of work is at the heart of everything I stand for and all I am about: cutting down on carbon emissions due to sensible transportation planning, working to build a transportation corridor that truly works for us, working to build bike paths and foot trails, and working to develop our economy in ways that do not hinder the natural beauty of our place, which in fact is one of the greatest economic tools we have.

Cruise Ships and School

2010-06-17T15:57:00.001-04:00

Last night, we talked with RSU 13 Superintendent Judith Lucarelli about MacDougal School reverting back to the City of Rockland. As you know, the kids are over at South School now, and with our combined districts, the school is now unused.

Originally, in 1931, the land was given to the City by a civic group for the recreational use of the boys and girls of Rockland. Educational use could be allowed.

We talked, not in great detail, but hashed over some questions, such as, who would get the boiler in the school- should the city choose to demolish the building, the RSU thought it was theirs to take out, the city isn't so sure. Dr. Lucarelli mentioned that the school system still needs the practice field for football, but the city would want the whole parcel back. Since Dr. Lucarelli also mentioned that the football use would only be needed for the coming season, I wondered if the city could just rent them the use of that portion. Plus, Mr. Mundo was there from the Unitarian Universalist Church. They need the parking that they had previously been renting from the school, and they had also paid to repave a walkway from the parking to the street.

We're going to have another conversation soon, I'll keep you posted as to when.

We also talked over the Harbor Management Commission's proposed cruise ship policy. Several members of the cruise ship industry, Mr. Isganitis from the Comprehensive Planning Commission, Economic Development Advisory Committee, and the Chamber of Commerce, and Ms. Closter, the Executive Director of the Chamber, came to express that they felt the policy might discourage cruise ships from coming to Rockland. Personally, I don't want to discourage them, I just want us to make sure that we have the facilities in place to be able to handle them, and that we work up slowly, so that the folks who use the public landing, the festivals, and the town is able to handle the volume. It very well could be that we could take in a few more than the proposal from Harbor Management, but I think it is prudent that we proceed a little carefully at first so that we can learn what works and what doesn't.

Harbor Management is going to meet with other involved stakeholders, and talk some more about the amount of ships and the sizes.

As far as the fee for ships goes: there was discussion from the podium about the fact that council wants to increase the dollar a person fee to six dollars. Six dollars is in line with what is charged at other ports.

It's a lot of work that is being put in by everyone, and thanks to those of you who are working on all this.

Rockland awarded 600,000 grant to do the Streetscapes Phase Two and Three!!

2010-06-07T06:02:00.000-04:00

This is amazingly exciting news, because we will be able to make huge improvements to help pedestrians and traffic alike in the area from Summer Street to the Rankin Block. It's been a lot of meetings, a lot of collaboration between the city, Rockland Main Street, lots of citizen input and staff hours...I'll see if I can get Rodney to get the plan to me in a pdf so I can get it on the website. It is really gorgeous. Here we are, listening to Amanda and Travis, the planners, go through some updates.

February 3, 2010: Rockland Selected as a "Distinctive Destination"

2010-02-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Rockland named one of "12 Distinctive Destinations" February 3

By the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I was at the gala at the Farnsworth, that night, and it was truly a moment to be proud.
http://www.preservationnation.org/about-us/press-center/press-releases/2010/DDD-2010-Rockland.html

From October 2009: Climate resolve issued by our mayor!

2009-10-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

Oct 14 2009: Rockland Supports Climate Awareness with a Resolve!

October 14 was a long time ago... I still need you to keep calling the Senators

Tell them to vote for legislation that supports climate change reduction and promotes green jobs.

Senator Snowe, toll free in Maine: (800) 432-1599, or her Washington Number: (202) 224-5344
Senator Collins, Washington, D.C. Office (202) 224-2523, Augusta Office (207) 622-8414,
Bangor Office(207) 945-0417

My favorite part of being a councilor is regular meeting, because people come! I especially love it when I know that I am a part of what is going on: that my choice to be in public office is worthy, because people have called me, they are at the meetings with legislation in hand, ready to take part in our democratic process.

On October 14, my former gardening co-worker, friend, and friend to the environment, Annette Naegel, came and asked council to support a resolve declaring October 24 Climate Awareness Day. She was taking part in a worldwide Climate Awareness Action sponsored by 350.org Do go to the website to see all the creative ways that people made the number 350, all over the world.

Why 350? What's the significance? 350 is the most important number in the world--it's what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Right now, mostly because we’ve burned so much fossil fuel, the atmospheric concentration of co2 is 390 ppm—that’s way too high, and it’s why ice is melting, drought is spreading, forests are dying. To bring that number down, the first task is to stop putting more carbon into the atmosphere. That means a very fast transition to sun and wind and other renewable forms of power. If we can stop pouring more carbon into the atmosphere, then forests and oceans will slowly suck some of it out of the air and return us to safe levels.

Two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million.

Elizabeth Dickerson, Rockland Maine City Councilor

Index Page Archive, Feb 26-March 5

Good Morning- I'll be in Augusta today, (February 26) Live Blogging and Tweeting and Facebooking.

RSU 13 School Board Meeting, 6.30 PM, Thursday March 3, at the McLain School, Lincoln Street, Rockland.

Budget Season is Coming...Check out City Manager Rosemary Kulow's Letter. It says it all.

Yes, the dump fire that started February 5, 2011 is now out.

The Marsars Sled...A Reality.

Feb 21 Website Archive, Homepage

Yes, the dump fire that started February 5, 2011 continues to burn off and on.

Regular Council Meeting

I can't believe how many of you are telling me you can't wait to get chickens...

Where Do I Go Now Teen Homeless Awareness Project

The Marsars Sled...A Reality.

Week of January 3, 2011

But Wait, There's More..

Planing Board Meeting:

City of Rockland Press Release Pending Downtown Streetscape Improvements

Maine Walk for Peace, Human Needs and Veterans' Care from Nov. 2-11.

Community Medication Collection Event – September 25

Tucked in, Waiting for the Blow.

Tucked in, waiting for the blow.

A Moody Picture to Convey Sadness

So what about the new dump fees?

Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Comes to Rockland!

Highlights of the week:

Placement of the Mississipi Blues Trail Marker

Financial Incentives to Rehabilitate Historic Buildings: A Practical Regional Workshop for Property Owners

this is the publicity from a workshop on June 24, but it contains all you need to know if you want to explore this program. Just call Rodney or Lorrain!

Senator Collins Christens the Cruise Ship Independence

Guerilla Warfare: Pedestrian Style

June 28- An Event to Shake the Earth Under Rockland

Central Park

Fall in love

Captain Richard Spear Drive- It's official!

Summer Solstice: S'Wonderful!

Information about where to find help to weatherize your home and stay warm for less!

Smart Code: What is it?

Well, it's transect, form based code that takes as its cue the precepts of New Urbanism: and New Urbanism is an urban planning trend focused on replacing sprawl with walkable, mixed use, transit oriented communities.

We had 114 people attend the workshop on Smartcode!! Thank you!

Given by Robert Orr, FAIA,7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 8, 2009Rockland City Hall

Gateway One: Rockland Signs on!

Cruise Ships and School

Rockland awarded 600,000 grant to do the Streetscapes Phase Two and Three!!

February 3, 2010: Rockland Selected as a "Distinctive Destination"

Rockland named one of "12 Distinctive Destinations" February 3

From October 2009: Climate resolve issued by our mayor!

Oct 14 2009: Rockland Supports Climate Awareness with a Resolve!

October 14 was a long time ago... I still need you to keep calling the Senators

Given by Robert Orr, FAIA,
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Rockland City Hall