Lance Dutson, owner of the Maine Web Report, has audio interviews with Greg Dugal, executive director for Maine Innkeepers Association, Alan Caron, executive director GrowSmart Maine, Don Kleiner, Owner, Maine Outdoors, lobbyist for the outdoors industry and Ethan Strimling, State Senator, Executive Director, Portland West.

In his interviews, Dutson asks each participant 5 questions all in regards to a suggestion made in the report done recently by the Brookings Institute called, “Charting Maine’s Future“. That suggestion was that Maine raise its lodging tax from 7% to 10%.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to hear what each of these individuals has to say about this proposal.

I did an editorial on this subject back in December. You can read that article here.

Tom Remington

According to the Portland Press Herald, traffic on the Maine Turnpike was up about 1.5% from a year ago. I guess at a state average of $3.14 per gallon and nationwide running about the same, it didn’t seem to slow too many travelers down.

Tom Remington

Maine has had its share of deaths on the waterways of late, mostly because of the cold water. Be aware that this time of year, cold water can kill you because of hypothermia. Even with a personal flotation device, cold water will take its toll just as quickly.

Everyone on or near the cold waters of Maine should use extra precautions to avoid taking accidental plunges into the water.

Tom Remington

Political leaders of the three Northern New England states released a joint statement saying they want all of the tri-state area to have broadband Internet access in order to keep up with the rapidly growing cyberspace business world.

The statement was released by all three state’s leaders of both House and Senate.

New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli and Senate President Sylvia Larsen; Maine House Speaker Glenn Cummings and Senate President Beth Edmonds; Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin.

Some of the leaders express concerns and reasons why Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont need this service.

“Extending high-speed Internet service to all parts of the region is critical to our future economic success,” Norelli said

“By working together, we hope to ensure all three states get a telecommunications partner capable of acting promptly to meet the rapidly-evolving needs of our residents, businesses and institutions.”

This announcement comes on the heels of a proposal by Verizon to sell out a good chunk of its service in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to Fair Point Communications. Leaders are asking that any changes in ownership might consider providing this service.

“I feel this was a very successful collaboration, and we will continue to work together to protect our interests as the telecommunications industry grows and changes,” Larsen said. “I’m encouraged by our ability to work together on this and potentially other issues.

“Our three states have much in common, and there are many other issues of regional concern that offer opportunities for us to work together in the future.”

All the right things are being said and it certainly sounds good except for the fact that nobody is making any concrete suggestions as to how this is going to happen. This is really a geographical nightmare for anyone and an expense that I believe may be cost prohibitive.

It costs money to provide everyone broadband Internet access. It’s the same reason that many folks in this region can’t get cable television. Anything short of subsidized Internet service is a business venture sure to put any company under in a short amount of time.

I can’t imagine the monthly fee that would have to be levied on the people wanting the service. Perhaps some kind of community effort would somehow work.

I am one who realizes that Maine desperately needs better Internet access, including options and competition and I hope somehow they can pull something together to make it work. Issuing statements of how I wish it would happen isn’t going to amount to much. I think it really falls back on the old, tried and true supply and demand.

Tom Remington

I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did. ~Benjamin Harrison

WOW! I feel bad for the residents of Maine who have no options for Internet access. I arrived at my camp here in western Maine just over a week ago (by the way, it was raining when I arrived and it’s raining again today).

Before I left Florida, I called ahead to the offices of Oxford Networks, the supplier of telephone and Internet access to a good portion of western Maine, including Bethel. I have had Internet access before while at camp in the form of the dreaded dial-up. When I first began connecting while at camp, it was the only service available from Oxford Networks, also known as Megalink.

Then ON offered DSL, to limited customers and a one year minimum contract to get connected. Forget that as I am only here 2 – 3 months out of the year.

The good news is when I arrived I discovered that Megalink was now allowing customers to connect through DSL on a monthly basis, so I’m waiting to get connected. The bad news is……and the list is as long as a grocery list.

I have been struggling with dial-up since I arrived. It takes me approximately 20 attempts to make a connection. Don’t laugh! I am anal enough that I count these things. Once I am fortunate enough to get the equipment to cooperate and make a connection, more times than not I’ll get booted.

For whatever it’s worth, I have at times been able to get connected at 50.6 but the connection speed varies considerably to a low of 40.2. A friend of mine who lives a bit more remotely than I do gets connected very consistently……..at 28.8. Can you imagine? I told him it would be faster if he delivered his mail on foot.

Not only is the equipment and connection inferior but these guys are expensive. They charge $18.95 per month for a dial-up connection. Many companies are now charging around that price for DSL or some kind of broadband connection.

It’s the holiday weekend now and the offices aren’t open. Oh, did I tell you that you aren’t able to get an Internet connection via a telephone connection, modem and computer? They have no such thing. You have to call them on the telephone and sign up that way. Before you ask, no they are not available 24/7, only during office hours. So, if you have connection problems, etc. on a weekend or holiday, you’re out of business.

What is ironic about all this is I was just reading somewhere how this company just received an award for some kind of outstanding business in Maine. Imagine?

So, if I can get this blog written before I get booted, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow and drive the 25 miles to the nearest Oxford Networks office to pick up my DSL modem. After I get the contract signed and modem in hand, I’ll give them some “friendly advice”, even though I know I will be just as affective if I yelled at the pine tree outside the camp door.

Maine is very rural and I realize that the Bethel area is not unlike many places across the state. I’m sure there are thousands of people who have no options at all, I mean no service available.

Enough of this. On to bigger and more positive things this morning. BTW, the forecast says the sun will be shining by the afternoon.

An aside. Maine sits on the far eastern edge of the Eastern Time Zone. As a matter of fact, if you look at a map, you’ll notice that Maine is surrounded by the Atlantic Time Zone. In Florida where I live, we are on the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone. What does that mean? In Florida this time of year it is daylight by around 6:00 a.m. In Maine it begins breaking daylight, when it isn’t raining, around 4:00 a.m. I haven’t gotten used to that yet and am waking around 4:00 – 4:30

Tom Remington

Everywhere I go these days I seem to be hearing the same lamenting from the Maine people about the dismal prospects for the state’s future. Here’s just one example as found in the Morning Sentinel.

High taxes, poor employment opportunities, crumbling infrastructure, a haven for unlicensed and uninsured drivers, high heating costs, no reason for young people to stay in Maine. This is Maine, the way life is.

Tom Remington

AUGUSTA, Maine – Leo Keifer of Caribou was elected as chair of the Commissioner’s Advisory Council for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife during their monthly meeting on May 24. Joe Clark of Millinocket was elected as vice-chair of the council.

Kieffer represents Aroostook County on the Advisory Council. As a member of the Maine State Senate, he served eight years in the legislature, where he was a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, the Agriculture Conservation and Forestry Committee and the Banking and Insurance Committee. Kieffer also served as Minority Leader in the 117th legislature and as Assistant Minority Leader in the 118th. Kieffer is a member of the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club, the Maine Trappers Association, the Maine Snowmobile Association and other affiliations that aim to preserve and enhance all outdoor recreational activities. Kieffer replaces Robert “Bos” Savage of Limington as council chair.

Clark represents Penobscot County. A former legislator, Clark is an active outdoorsman. Clark spent eight years in the House of Representatives, and for six years he was a member of the legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, and he was also on the legislature’s Natural Resource Committee for four years.

“I would like to thank Bos for his leadership of the council, and I look forward to working with Leo and Joe in their new positions,” said Roland D. Martin, Commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

In other council news, the council voted to accept the department’s revised any deer permit recommendations. This year, the department will issue 66,275 permits. The breakdown by WMD is as follows: WMD 1 – 0 permits, WMD 2 – 0, WMD 3 – 0, WMD 4 – 0, WMD 5 – 0, WMD 6 – 150, WMD 7 – 400, WMD 8 – 550, WMD 9 – 175, WMD 10 – 75, WMD 11 – 100, WMD 12 — 1,625, WMD 13 — 1,500, WMD 14 – 700, WMD 15 — 6,475, WMD 16 — 5,400, WMD 17 — 11,000, WMD 18 – 450, WMD 19 – 0, WMD 20 — 6,500, WMD 21 — 5,400, WMD 22 — 7,275, WMD 23 — 10,125, WMD 24 — 2,325, WMD 25 — 2,800, WMD 26 — 2,650, WMD 27 – 0, WMD 28 – 0, WMD 29 – 600.

The council also discussed the possibility of a Fall Shotgun Season for wild turkeys this fall (2007). A rule proposal will be submitted soon. The season would last for one week in mid-October in WMDs 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.

The Advisory Council consists of ten members representing the 16 counties of the state. The Advisory Council works with the Commissioner to provide information and advice concerning the administration of the department, and to review all rules being proposed by the Commissioner and determine if the Commissioner should adopt them. Rules cannot be adopted by the Commissioner without the consent (majority vote) of the council.

Tom Remington

Governor John Baldacci signed LD1419, an emergency bill that creates an advisory panel to oversee the management of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Absent from the bill is a recommendation made earlier from a previous working group of the governor, to appoint a superintendent to answer to the advisory panel and work with the Department of Conservation. Instead, the panel will work with an “employee” of the DOC, according to the Bangor Daily News.

The advisory panel will help the Allagash manager — an employee of the Department of Conservation — develop and implement long-range, strategic plans for the waterway. It will meet at least twice annually and is supposed to better represent public views in order to reduce political tensions over management of the Allagash.

To reduce those political tensions, the panel will be made up this way.

The governor-appointed council members will include one member of the general public and representatives with knowledge in the following areas: wilderness recreation, natural resource planning and management, fisheries and wildlife conservation, cultural and historic preservation and sustainable forest management.

The latter representative will either be a landowner or an employee of a company that owns land abutting the Allagash. The seventh member will be a representative of the National Park Service, which administers the federal Wild and Scenic River program.

This bill also makes provisions to accept and management donations and contributions of money to be used to administer the AWW and make capital improvements.

Tom Remington

Read about Jack Duffy’s record brown trout catch.

Tom Remington

I received this email from good friend Chris Lewey of Raven Wildlife. Sounds like an evening you don’t want to miss out on.

Would you like to visit Africa’s National Parks and see up close its amazing wildlife? Join tour director and world traveler, Susan Wahlen this Thursday, May 24 at 7 PM at the Tin Mountain Conservation Center Nature Learning Center in Albany, NH. In the nature program “African Wildlife”, Susan will “take us on safari” discussing the diversity of the parks habitats and residents. Her images highlight the “up close” experiences with the wildlife and the unpredictability of what’s around each bend in the road. She will take us to local villages and introduce us to some of the people including one of the most recognizable tribes of the region, the Maasai. We will explore their customs and traditions, and the hopes and struggles facing the region. Discover the wonder of the Great Rift Valley, Ngorongoro Crater, the mighty Kilimanjaro and the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem as Susan shares glimpses and insights of her travels and encounters with the ‘Big Five’ and the ‘Great Migration’, the colorful birdlife and the beautiful faces that make an East African Safari an experience of a lifetime. Susan will also share experiences from her recent trip where she visited the Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas in Uganda!
Susan grew up outside a small town in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Sociology. After school she landed a true dream job crewing on a private yacht for two years traveling from Seattle to Spain via the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Great Lakes, Russia and Scandinavia. She then moved to San Francisco, where she lived for 4 years and worked for an Adventure Travel Company. Susan was enjoying life in San Francisco and managed to fit in trips to Australia, Southeast Asia and Central America but started to “feel the itch” to work “on location” in the world again. In 2003, she started her career as a tour director. She worked in Alaska and with student groups in Washington D.C, and currently runs tours in the Western US National Parks, New England and East Africa for Tauck World Discovery. Susan now resides in New Hampshire. Tin Mountain is pleased to have Susan present this upcoming Nature Program at the TMCC Nature Learning Center on Bald Hill Road in Albany at 7 PM this Thursday, May 24th.
Tin Mountain Nature Programs Series is sponsored by L.L. Bean and the Evenor Armington Fund. Tin Mountain Conservation Center is a non-profit 501( c )3 organization. The Nature Programs Series is open to the public. Donations of $3 per person or $5 per family are appreciated. To learn more about Tin Mountain Conservation Center and other upcoming programs, please visit www.tinmtn.org or call 603-447-6991.

Tom Remington

As another follow up to my spring trip to Medard Park, Florida, I shot these photos that I thought you might enjoy.

Medard Park was alive with many different species of birds. It was a bright and warm sunny day and most birds were pretty much hiding out. This cardinal was singing his heart out all the while I was on the observation deck. For a short period of time, he revealed himself long enough for me to snap this quick shot. I dried my mouth whistling at him to get him to move in for a closer look.

Lantana is a wild growing bushy flower in Florida. It comes in various shades of color, from plain yellow and purple to a combination of colors. This particular one sports both colors. It is one of those bushes that when you see the entire bush you might say, “That’s kind of pretty”, but when you examine the flower close up, it reveals its intricate beauty.

Ospreys were darting and swooping and to get over my head and get a picture was quite difficult. It took several shots to get one in which I at least got the majority of the graceful bird in the picture. The fish seemed plentiful and the ospreys were busy seeking lunch.

I had to force my way through some relatively thick growth to find this turtle trying to stay out of the direct sunlight. I’m not sure what kind of turtle this is but I estimate he was about 12 inches the length of his shell.

Not quite sure if this guy wanted to be in the water or out of it, he looks like he’s keeping two feet in and two out. Medard Park has plenty of alligators. There were plenty just holding up on the sandy shores as well as laying mostly motionless anywhere in the water. This guy was perhaps 8-10 feet in length and completely undeterred by the park dwellers and fishermen nearby – also three photography nuts snapping pictures at whatever moved and didn’t.

Tom Remington