by Mike Dworkin
Coastal Journal contributor

There has been major sewer and road reconstruction in downtown Rockland since mid-September. Traffic had to be rerouted away from a section of Main Street, slowing travel through town and affecting some businesses in the area.

Now the good news: All the disruption and inconvenience will soon be forgotten, as Rockland starts to save money with lower water-treatment costs, some residents get drier basements, and vehicle operators begin to enjoy the newly paved roads.

Greg Blackwell, Rockland's Director of Public Works, sounded guardedly optimistic on the morning of Friday, October 21, as he spoke of an expected return to unbroken traffic flow on Main Street by the next day. After a number of rainy days, paving had resumed Thursday.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — Kristi Schall doubles as a customer service representative, chasing down customers who might need help at the Skillins Garden Center in Brunswick. Her job is to water all of the trees there, but as evidenced by her participation in an award ceremony for the Independence Association annual dinner and business meeting on October 13, Schall is happy to have a job.

Several of her peers, clients of the association that helps people with developmental disabilities live more independent lives, looked equally happy. The Independence Association (www.independenceassociation.org) is a nonprofit organization based in Brunswick that helps children and adults with disabilities live fuller, more independent lives. Clients of the association are people who have varying disabilities, including mental illness, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and autism.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — A citizens' group wants current and potential tenants of Brunswick Landing, the decommissioned Brunswick Naval Air Station, to know about the ongoing cleanup of pollutants there. Brunswick Area Citizens for a Safe Environment (BACSE) released a report this month that summarizes their findings on three contamination categories, according to BACSE president Ed Benedikt.

Benedikt said the report is the most comprehensive since their last report, issued in 2000, and details the cleanup relating to the Superfund process, the presence of petroleum, and pollutants that would have otherwise been categorized under the Superfund process before 1975.

Superfund is the environmental program overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor and clean up toxic waste sites. It was established in 1980 through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act that same year.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

WHITEFIELD — David Dixon's memory is held in high esteem among residents of Whitefield. On October 15, Whitefield's new Fire and Rescue Station was dedicated to Dixon, a former firefighter and community leader who passed away in 2009.

The noon ceremony provided an opportunity for people to reflect on Dixon's memory and recognize those who have contributed to the building of the station. Whitefield selectman Frank Ober summarized a history of firefighting among the three villages of North Whitefield, Coopers Mills, and Kings Mills. He also reminded the approximately 40 residents in attendance about the town's decision to establish a municipal firefighting service and to build the central station.