his is the 1941 Mack that was rescued by local retired firefighters, as it slowly sunk into the mud behind the Public Works building in Bath.by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BATH — The United States government gave the city of Bath a fire engine in 1941 to bolster the city's pumping capacity, which at the time was deemed to be insufficient, according to former Bath Fire Chief Norman Kenney, who served in that capacity from 1972 to 1981, who first joined as a volunteer firefighter in 1953. Today, that fire engine sits in the former National Guard Armory building on Old Brunswick Road, restored thanks to a group of retired and active firefighters.

For a number of years, the fire truck lay parked behind the Public Works Department, where firefighters conducted outdoor training. Parts had been taken off, vandals had caused some damage, and the weather took its toll on the engine's paint. Norman Kenney, now a member of the Box 19 Club in Bath, said the club formed when a group of retired firefighters decided to restore the engine. In 2004, they hauled the beat-up old truck out of the mud, with considerable effort, and proceeded to bring it back to life.

Jacob Cuffby Will Gottlieb
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — Toward the end of December, local musician and all-around good guy Jacob Cuff got a piece of hard news. He'd been experiencing some lethargy, and had found some lesions on his stomach and on one of his legs, and wondered if they were somehow connected. He went to the doctor's to get checked out, and was ultimately told he had Leukemia. And unfortunately, Jacob has no medical insurance.

If Jacob's name is somewhat familiar to you, that comes as no surprise. Jacob is the son of Nancy Cuff-Bigelow, owner of the Broadway Deli in Brunswick; the older brother of singer-songwriter Christian Cuff; older brother of the amazing Jessica Cuff-Fournier; and stepson of local music maven Earl Bigelow. We may have missed a sibling or two here, but the point is that, while these people have a lot of class, they don't have a lot of money. That's where you come in.

Friends and family have organized a series of benefit concerts and related events, dubbed "Leukema-pa-looza," to help Jacob pay his medical bills. The next benefit concert/auction/party event will be held at the Frontier Café and Cinema, located at 14 Maine St., Brunswick, in the back of the Fort Andross complex, on Saturday, February 4, at 7 p.m. The lineup for the show includes musical guests Jeff Lemons, Justin Lantrip and The Yellow Roman Candles.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

SOUTH THOMASTON — In a January 26 presentation at the Wessaweskeag Historical Society in South Thomaston, Jon Eaton of the Georges River Tidewater Association talked about the importance of measuring for acidity in local rivers. Marine biologists and fishermen alike fear increased acidity in the ocean will lead to corrosion of shells on clams, oysters and other sea organisms. Eaton is seeking volunteers to take water samples along the St. George River estuary, and said he would like to help with sampling efforts along the Medomak and Weskeag Rivers, as well.

Sherman Hoyt, fisheries outreach coordinator for the Maine Sea Grant at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, joined Eaton to share his concerns for the future of shellfish and other marine life in midcoast rivers.

The presentation, hosted by a South Thomaston environmental group called Friends of the Weskeag, introduced plans for a shoreline water monitoring program this spring. "Citizen scientists" will have the chance to measure pH, nitrogen, chlorophyll, turbidity, temperature and salinity in the St. George River estuary, 12 miles northeast of Muscongus Bay.

by John Maguire
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — Despite news regarding Kestrel Aircraft taking most of its manufacturing operation to Wisconsin, members of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) expressed optimism about the former base's future at a meeting on January 17. Authority members found encouragement in positive year-end budgets, various indicators of potential business growth, and in projections of increased employment opportunities. And they also found encouragement in plans for a proposed energy center at Brunswick Landing.

Highlights of the well-attended meeting included a report from MRRA executive director Steve Levesque, which showed that several hundred acres had been successfully transferred from the Navy. Levesque also summarized two potential tax increment financing programs for infrastructure improvements on the base, and summarized jobs projections for Brunswick Landing tenants.