by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BATH — The Army Corps of Engineers finished dredging a portion of the Kennebec River on August 14, in time for the Navy to receive BIW's newly built destroyer, the DDG 111 Spruance, but many residents are concerned about the project's impacts on marine life.

While the disturbance of silt caused some immediate problems for local fishermen, long-term effects are uncertain. Many feel as though signs of damage might not be noticed until after three or four years have passed, when links of cause and effect have been eroded by tides, weather and the passage of time.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — Kids often dread the coming of a new school year, but grade-school students in Brunswick were happy to find shiny hallways and a big jungle gym waiting for them at the opening of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School last Thursday, August 25.

The children joined parents, teachers, local politicians and community leaders for the grand opening ceremony of a school that will be more than a building and grounds. Long-time supporters of the new school, which has been in the works for over six years, saw first-hand how the large gymnasium would not only provide ample space for school programs, but also plenty of room for the Brunswick Recreation Department. Construction of the new school for students in grades 2 through 5 began in 2004.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BATH — Maine Eastern Railroad has filed charges against a 22-year-old man from Waldoboro who reportedly fell asleep on top of a rail car in Rockland after a night of drinking last Saturday.

According to director Gordon Page, the railroad filed the charges of criminal trespassing and theft of services on Wednesday, August 24, after consulting with Bath and Rockland police departments.

"It's trespassing to get on top of the train," Page said, adding that the railroad was not planning any additional security. "That's the law. We expect people to act safely and responsibly around the railroad."

Previous reports from the Bath Police Department stated the man, Elijah Burnham, said he had been drinking in Rockland last Friday night, August 19, and climbed to the top of a train, where he fell asleep. Law enforcement officials did not release Burnham's name until charges were filed. He awoke somewhere along the 45-minute train ride between Rockland and Bath and decided to stay put until someone saw him up there.

Page said the passenger train cars, on one of which Burnham was riding, have no ladders leading to the roofs.

"This kid would have had to make a concerted effort to scale to the top of the train," Page said.

According to Bath Police, Burnham has been summonsed for criminal trespassing and is to appear at the West Bath District Court on October 4. 

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — During an August 17 public hearing in Brunswick, residents said they would like the Navy to dig deeper to find any more possible contamination at what was once a pesticide shop on the former Naval Air Station. A handout the Base Realignment and Closure department (BRAC) made available to the public mentions that prior to 1976, unused chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides, were dumped out behind one of the buildings on the site.

Members of the Brunswick Area Civilians for a Safe Environment disagreed with the "no further action" decision by the Navy regarding soil testing at the site. They were concerned that the soil testing only addressed the first one-foot layer of soil and not the subsurface soil.

Citing a July Remedial Investigation Report, the group stated that, "the contamination in the subsurface soils does present risks to insects, burrowing animals and other creatures that live in the soil, as well as to the birds and animals that feed on them."