Connections
Operation Lifesaver Volunteer Appreciation Day held in Auburn
On Saturday, October 24, the Great Falls Model Railroad Club of Lewiston/Auburn hosted the Annual Maine Operation Lifesaver Volunteer Appreciation Day at its newly renovated club house at 144 Mill Street in New Auburn (the former Jake & Andy's Donut Shop). The gathering included railroad safety volunteers from locations throughout Maine, Federal Railroad Administration officials, and railroad representatives.
Maine Operation Lifesaver volunteers give railroad safety presentations throughout the state to schools, driver education programs, professional drivers, first responders (fire, police, EMTs, etc.) and any company which has drivers who come in contact with railroads (CMP, Poland Spring, telephone and cable companies, Internet service providers, etc.). Maine Operation Lifesaver volunteers give hundreds of presentations each year to thousands of school children and to adults who drive a variety of vehicles.
Gifts were presented to volunteers, including tickets on the Downeaster and on Maine Eastern Railroad's tourist train which operates between Brunswick and Rockland. Other volunteers received shirts from the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railroad (formerly Bangor & Aroostook Railroad), license plate covers, hats and coffee mugs.
A barbeque-style luncheon was provided for the volunteers by Great Falls Model Railroad Club members Jerry Johnston, Stephen Martelli, and Rob Roy. After the annual business meeting, Mike Grizkewitsch, Program Manager for Trespassing, Federal Railroad Administration, gave a presentation on new information that volunteers need to include in presentations concerning trespassing on railroad property. In recent years, trespassing injuries and fatalities on railroad property have increased dramatically, becoming more of a problem than vehicle crashes. Railroad property is private property and snowmobilers, ATV drivers, hunters and fishermen are not allowed on railroad rights of way.
Jay Calnan, Lewiston, and Paul Lodge, West Minot, are Operation Lifesaver volunteers from the central Maine area and members of The Great Falls Model Railroad Club.
Any group interested in scheduling a railroad safety presentation can call Fred Hirsch, Maine Operation Lifesaver coordinator at 207-827-7367 to make arrangements.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Most Popular Today
verified on "Health providers gird for DHHS cuts under compromise deal"
cuts
Why doesn't all the members of the legislation take cuts on their payroll and their insurance coverage and see if they can manage. I'm already fighting DHS because of a mistake they made and because of their mistake my income tax refund is in jeopardy. I've already lost my maine state refund. This is wrong. DHS takes money from people who are on the system because of the mistake DHS made. That's not right. Why should the people be punished for a mistake that wasn't their fault. Stop spending other people's money. I work as much as I can so That my 8 yr old can go to school and have food, a roof what I make versus my rent and bills barely lets me have any money left over for dr visits, car repairs or basic household necessities, toothpaste, toilet paper etc.... Why don't they take it back from the people who defrauded DHS. I have mainecare but I don't have dental. Maine care only pays $8.00 for eyeglasses and they break all the time because they are cheap. The only way I can get mainecare to pay for a dentist is if I break a tooth or need one pulled. I can't just go to the dentist to fill a cavitiy or to have my teeth cleaned. That isn't fair. The legislature is supposed to be helping those citizens that are having a hard time. Instead of going on those fancy vacations, buying that new car why don't some of you Take your bonuses and put it back into the system. If I could afford to live like that I would give up my bonuses. It's about caring, oh wait the only thing the legislature cares about is what in their pockets and who they can screw next.!!! I'm all for rules and regulations but it needs to apply to everyone. Starting with the lawmakers.
verified on "An impassioned, diverse dialogue on wind power"
Numbers and Nimbys
One gentleman asked for published, peer-reviewed information on wind power. He was told, correctly, that such information can be hard to get, although there is of course published work showing serious effects on bird and bat populations. However, one source does come to mind: the US Energy Information Administration. They publish information about how much money we spend as taxpayers to support various forms of energy, and it can be quite interesting. For instance, natural gas gets $0.25 per MWh; coal gets $0.44. The owners of industrial wind turbines get $23.37/MWh.
Does that answer anyone's questions about why Angus King et al are working so hard to get in on this racket?
If the SJ thinks that windpower is a valuable part of the mix, and that subsidies are important, perhaps the answer is to have a level playing field here. And incidentally, according to the head of ISO-New England, wind turbines are so spread out over the landscape as to require a massive investment in transmission lines with an estimated cost of $19-25 Billion.... we would be paying for that, of course, on our electric bills. And paying again in terms of lost tourism revenue.
Another item that has come up here is the usual accusation about anti-windpower people just being a bunch of NIMBYs. Well, I can't speak for others but I sure hope I'm one! Love, charity, and caring for one's neighborhood are virtues that begin at home, and then hopefully go out to encompass more and more of the world and its people. I think it's high time people quit using this as an insult-- it's like sneering at someone for loving his mother.
However there is a kind of NIMBY that deserves the perjorative use of the term, and that is one who supports an activity as long as it's in someone else's backyard, not his. Thinking of the Natural Resources Council of Maine here... I'm not a member any more!
I've read a lot of words from Maine people who are fighting industrial wind, but have never heard one say it was fine as long as somebody else had to suffer, not them. So please, if you want to use the term make sure you use it wisely.
verified on "Car rolls over on Ash Street in Lewiston"
Isn't this a ONE lane street?
I'm relieved to hear that she is okay but didn't the city make this a one lane street now? It used to be two but since they did some road work, it is now lined as one lane. And did the 'passing' car stop to help or did they continue driving off, knowing full and well that they were in the wrong?? Charges need to be filed. This could've cost this poor woman her life or even who knows what else harm it could've caused!
In order to make comments, you must verify your account.
In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.
Login or create an account here.
Our policy prohibits comments that are:
- Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
- Excessively foul and/or vulgar
- Inappropriately sexual
- Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
- Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
- Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.