Ships Guard
A4 Saturday/Sunday, November 7-8, 2015, Bangor Daily News
Ships fairly exposed and large ships have to anchor in Frenchman Bay and then bring passengers ashore with tender boats. Bar Harbor and the Maine Port Authority are looking into the possibility of redeveloping the former Cat ferry terminal on Route 3 into a cruise ship pier to make it easier for passengers on large ships to disembark. The number of ship visits this year in Bar Harbor is 10 fewer than the record of 127 visits set in 2014. The estimated number of cruise ship passengers who stopped in Bar Harbor this year is more than 146,000, Phippen said. The final cruise ship to visit Bar Harbor this year came and went on Oct. 27. The ship Saint Laurent, which was scheduled to visit two days later on Oct. 29, “canceled their visit due to heavy weather,” the harbormaster said.
Ship visits statewide may not have risen this summer, but the economic impact of the industry continues to expand in Maine, according to a trade industry organization. Data for 2015 are not yet available but in its annual economic report, Cruise Lines International Association indicated that direct spending in Maine by cruise ship companies and passengers contributed $47 million to the state’s economy in 2014, representing an increase of $800,000 from the prior year. Of that $47 million, $26 million is believed to have been spent on wages that supported an estimated 755 cruise industry related jobs in the state. The report indicated that, on average, cruise ship passengers spend a little more than $120 in each port that they visit. This would mean that passengers spent nearly $11.2 million in Portland, which had a total of nearly 98,000 visitors this year, and $17.8 million in Bar Harbor. The number of visitors in Portland this year is approx-
Dying fan gets to see new ‘Star Wars’ film
Guard
Continued from Page A1
ReuteRS
LOS ANGELES — A terminally ill “Star Wars” fan, who was given just a few months to live, was granted his wish to see the new “The Force Awakens” film Thursday, nearly two months before it comes out in theaters. Daniel Fleetwood, a 31-year-old Texas man suffering from an aggressive form of cancer that has spread to 90 percent of his lungs, was able to watch an early cut of the highly anticipated new “Star Wars” film, due in theaters on Dec. 18, his wife Ashley Fleetwood said on Facebook. “Daniel just finished watching an unfinished version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!!! We would like to thank the awesomely talented JJ Abrams for calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted!” she said. Daniel Fleetwood’s dying wish to see “The Force Awakens” went viral on social media in the past week with the hashtag #ForceForDaniel, which garnered the support of “Star Wars” actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and newcomer John Boyega. Hamill tweeted Thursday he was “elated” Fleetwood had been able to see the film.
Correcting the record
The Bangor Daily News strives to be accurate and fair. To report an error, call 990-8175 or 800-432-7964.
• A story on Page A1 of Friday’s edition overstated how much was spent directly to urge a “yes” vote on Question 1. The correct amount was about $1.2 million, not $1.7 million. The higher total included about $440,000 that was, in essence, doublecounted because it was a contribution from one campaign to another, and not direct spending on ads, campaign staff or other electioneering activities. • A story on Page B1 of Friday’s newspaper about the University of Maine System’s plan for offering online courses contained an error. The vice chancellor for academic affairs position is currently open, not occupied by University of Maine Interim President Susan Hunter.
Lottery Daily numbers: Day drawing 410 — 4150 Evening drawing 951 — 5593 Gimme 5: 23 29 32 33 38 Lucky for Life: 3 19 30 41 44 Lucky Ball: 15 Jackpot: $1,000/day for life
Reprints of BDN photos. store.bangordailynews.com
Continued from Page A1 for the new regiment would have come from the 488th Military Police Company in Waterville; Bravo Company, 172nd Mountain Infantry unit based in Brewer; and four units from the 133rd — the 136th Engineer Company in Skowhegan and Lewiston, the 251st Engineer Company of Norway, and the Forward Support Company and Headquarters Company, both based in Augusta. The controversial plan to transform Maine’s 133rd Engineer Battalion into an infantry unit was created by former Adjutant Gen. James D. Campbell, who was fired by LePage in March for his actions. Bolduc traveled to the National Guard Bureau in Virginia earlier this year to undo Campbell’s plan and make the case for leaving the 133rd intact. “The 133rd Engineering Battalion is a vital asset to Maine, and I am relieved it will remain in the state,” U.S. Sen. Angus King, IMaine, said in a statement Friday. “During my time as governor, I relied on the 133rd many times, most significantly in the aftermath of the Ice Storm of 1998. The battalion’s skill, professionalism and versatility unques-
imately 16,000 more than the number of passengers the city hosted in 2014. Portland is expected to have fewer ships visit in 2016, but more cruise ship passengers, according to Leeman. So far only 74 ship visits are scheduled for next year, but more larger ships are expected, Leeman said. At this point, Portland is expected to host 113,000 passengers in 2016. Bar Harbor has 116 visits scheduled so far for 2016, which is projected to bring nearly 160,000 passengers to town. According to Phippen, the number of cancellations in Bar Harbor this year was unusually high. Of the 23, 16 were by smaller cruise ships that usually tie up at the town pier, he said. “It was a spike [in cancellations], that’s for sure,” Phippen said. The smaller vessels operated by American Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures, which are between 160 and 215 feet long, avoid the trip into Bar Harbor when waves get to be
around 4 to 6 feet high, he said. In those cases, they sometimes dock in Bucksport and then take passengers by bus to Bar Harbor for the day. Phippen said six of the large ships that canceled stops in Bar Harbor this year did so in late September or October because of weather conditions that prevented them from bringing passengers to shore. The seventh ship, the Maasdam, canceled a stop in July because it was having engine problems, he said. Cruise ship visits to Bar Harbor have increased steadily since 1990, when the town welcomed only 22 total ships. The most recent year before 2015 in which a record for ship visits was not set in Bar Harbor was in 2011, when it had 106 — one fewer than the prior year. Ed Glaser, Rockland’s harbor master, said Thursday that 28 visits involved ships that either tied up to or had their tenders come and go from the city’s pier this summer. An additional
15 or so visits were by smaller ships tied up at Journey’s End Marina, located in Rockland off Tillson Avenue, for a total of more than 40. “This is the most we’ve ever had,” Glaser said. “It’s become a big part of the maritime industry in Rockland. Glaser added that among the 40-plus visits were five large cruise ships that dropped anchor in Rockland this summer — not including the Seven Seas Navigator, which had to cancel its scheduled Sept. 30 visit. Among those that did make a daylong stop in Rockland was the Brilliance of the Seas on Sept. 20. The Royal Caribbean ship can carry up to 2,100 passengers and a crew of 929. Glaser said local businesses aren’t the only entities that benefit from the increased foot traffic cruise ships bring. The cruise companies pay the city for use of the pier when they are in port, which resulted in about $18,000 in municipal reve-
nue from the smaller operators and about $60,000 in revenue from the larger cruise lines. He said he is not sure that more ships will visit Rockland in 2016. Typically, the city gets only two or three visits from large ships each summer and fall, he said. “I think it was an anomaly,” he said of getting five large-ship visits this year. “[But] we will see more growth [in ship visits] eventually.” Eastport had seven cruise ship visits this summer, one fewer than the eight that were scheduled, according to staff with the Eastport Port Authority. The Pearl Mist visited four times and the Grand Caribe visited three times, bringing estimated totals of more than 1,100 passengers and more than $137,000 in passenger spending to Maine’s easternmost city. Other ports that had cruise ship visits this year, all of them from smaller vessels, include Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Belfast, Bucksport and Castine.
tionably saved lives then, and it continues its important work today, supporting various missions in Maine and throughout New England. I’m pleased the 133rd will continue to call Maine home and that we will continue to be able to draw upon their extensive experience when necessary.” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, RMaine, also was happy with the news. “I am so pleased to learn that the Army National Guard 133rd Engineer Battalion will stay in Maine,” she said. “This is the right decision for the great state of Maine and for our nation.” The 133rd Engineer Battalion conducts operations that increase military effectiveness, including general engineering tasks in support of state and federal missions, Collins said. “During my discussions with Lt. Gen. Kadavy, the director of the Army National Guard, in October 2015, and my recent travel to U.S. European Command, it could not be clearer how important the National Guard is to Maine and to enabling national security missions overseas,” Collins said. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said keeping the 133rd in Maine was the right thing to do. “I’ve been opposed to swapping them for a combat
battalion from another state and am glad the National Guard Bureau has agreed that it’s a bad idea,” Pingree said. While Maine is safe from changes, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen is worried about the military budget cuts. “If I look at the Army
today and I look at readiness — only 31 percent of our militia is ready to go to battle tomorrow,” Cohen said at a moderated discussion titled “America’s Response to Global Instability,” held last week as part of the Cohen Lecture series at the University of Maine. “It’s never been that low.”
Cohen said the cuts send a message that America is not prepared to other countries, specifically China, Russia and countries within the Middle East. “Our military is being hurt,” Cohen said. “It has harmed our military capability, and many people don’t understand.”
Ships fairly exposed and large ships have to anchor in Frenchman Bay and then bring passengers ashore with tender boats. Bar Harbor and the Maine Port Authority are looking into the possibility of redeveloping the former Cat ferry terminal on Route 3 into a cruise ship pier to make it easier for passengers on large ships to disembark. The number of ship visits this year in Bar Harbor is 10 fewer than the record of 127 visits set in 2014. The estimated number of cruise ship passengers who stopped in Bar Harbor this year is more than 146,000, Phippen said. The final cruise ship to visit Bar Harbor this year came and went on Oct. 27. The ship Saint Laurent, which was scheduled to visit two days later on Oct. 29, “canceled their visit due to heavy weather,” the harbormaster said.
Ship visits statewide may not have risen this summer, but the economic impact of the industry continues to expand in Maine, according to a trade industry organization. Data for 2015 are not yet available but in its annual economic report, Cruise Lines International Association indicated that direct spending in Maine by cruise ship companies and passengers contributed $47 million to the state’s economy in 2014, representing an increase of $800,000 from the prior year. Of that $47 million, $26 million is believed to have been spent on wages that supported an estimated 755 cruise industry related jobs in the state. The report indicated that, on average, cruise ship passengers spend a little more than $120 in each port that they visit. This would mean that passengers spent nearly $11.2 million in Portland, which had a total of nearly 98,000 visitors this year, and $17.8 million in Bar Harbor. The number of visitors in Portland this year is approx-
Dying fan gets to see new ‘Star Wars’ film
Guard
Continued from Page A1
ReuteRS
LOS ANGELES — A terminally ill “Star Wars” fan, who was given just a few months to live, was granted his wish to see the new “The Force Awakens” film Thursday, nearly two months before it comes out in theaters. Daniel Fleetwood, a 31-year-old Texas man suffering from an aggressive form of cancer that has spread to 90 percent of his lungs, was able to watch an early cut of the highly anticipated new “Star Wars” film, due in theaters on Dec. 18, his wife Ashley Fleetwood said on Facebook. “Daniel just finished watching an unfinished version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!!! We would like to thank the awesomely talented JJ Abrams for calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted!” she said. Daniel Fleetwood’s dying wish to see “The Force Awakens” went viral on social media in the past week with the hashtag #ForceForDaniel, which garnered the support of “Star Wars” actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and newcomer John Boyega. Hamill tweeted Thursday he was “elated” Fleetwood had been able to see the film.
Correcting the record
The Bangor Daily News strives to be accurate and fair. To report an error, call 990-8175 or 800-432-7964.
• A story on Page A1 of Friday’s edition overstated how much was spent directly to urge a “yes” vote on Question 1. The correct amount was about $1.2 million, not $1.7 million. The higher total included about $440,000 that was, in essence, doublecounted because it was a contribution from one campaign to another, and not direct spending on ads, campaign staff or other electioneering activities. • A story on Page B1 of Friday’s newspaper about the University of Maine System’s plan for offering online courses contained an error. The vice chancellor for academic affairs position is currently open, not occupied by University of Maine Interim President Susan Hunter.
Lottery Daily numbers: Day drawing 410 — 4150 Evening drawing 951 — 5593 Gimme 5: 23 29 32 33 38 Lucky for Life: 3 19 30 41 44 Lucky Ball: 15 Jackpot: $1,000/day for life
Reprints of BDN photos. store.bangordailynews.com
Continued from Page A1 for the new regiment would have come from the 488th Military Police Company in Waterville; Bravo Company, 172nd Mountain Infantry unit based in Brewer; and four units from the 133rd — the 136th Engineer Company in Skowhegan and Lewiston, the 251st Engineer Company of Norway, and the Forward Support Company and Headquarters Company, both based in Augusta. The controversial plan to transform Maine’s 133rd Engineer Battalion into an infantry unit was created by former Adjutant Gen. James D. Campbell, who was fired by LePage in March for his actions. Bolduc traveled to the National Guard Bureau in Virginia earlier this year to undo Campbell’s plan and make the case for leaving the 133rd intact. “The 133rd Engineering Battalion is a vital asset to Maine, and I am relieved it will remain in the state,” U.S. Sen. Angus King, IMaine, said in a statement Friday. “During my time as governor, I relied on the 133rd many times, most significantly in the aftermath of the Ice Storm of 1998. The battalion’s skill, professionalism and versatility unques-
imately 16,000 more than the number of passengers the city hosted in 2014. Portland is expected to have fewer ships visit in 2016, but more cruise ship passengers, according to Leeman. So far only 74 ship visits are scheduled for next year, but more larger ships are expected, Leeman said. At this point, Portland is expected to host 113,000 passengers in 2016. Bar Harbor has 116 visits scheduled so far for 2016, which is projected to bring nearly 160,000 passengers to town. According to Phippen, the number of cancellations in Bar Harbor this year was unusually high. Of the 23, 16 were by smaller cruise ships that usually tie up at the town pier, he said. “It was a spike [in cancellations], that’s for sure,” Phippen said. The smaller vessels operated by American Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures, which are between 160 and 215 feet long, avoid the trip into Bar Harbor when waves get to be
around 4 to 6 feet high, he said. In those cases, they sometimes dock in Bucksport and then take passengers by bus to Bar Harbor for the day. Phippen said six of the large ships that canceled stops in Bar Harbor this year did so in late September or October because of weather conditions that prevented them from bringing passengers to shore. The seventh ship, the Maasdam, canceled a stop in July because it was having engine problems, he said. Cruise ship visits to Bar Harbor have increased steadily since 1990, when the town welcomed only 22 total ships. The most recent year before 2015 in which a record for ship visits was not set in Bar Harbor was in 2011, when it had 106 — one fewer than the prior year. Ed Glaser, Rockland’s harbor master, said Thursday that 28 visits involved ships that either tied up to or had their tenders come and go from the city’s pier this summer. An additional
15 or so visits were by smaller ships tied up at Journey’s End Marina, located in Rockland off Tillson Avenue, for a total of more than 40. “This is the most we’ve ever had,” Glaser said. “It’s become a big part of the maritime industry in Rockland. Glaser added that among the 40-plus visits were five large cruise ships that dropped anchor in Rockland this summer — not including the Seven Seas Navigator, which had to cancel its scheduled Sept. 30 visit. Among those that did make a daylong stop in Rockland was the Brilliance of the Seas on Sept. 20. The Royal Caribbean ship can carry up to 2,100 passengers and a crew of 929. Glaser said local businesses aren’t the only entities that benefit from the increased foot traffic cruise ships bring. The cruise companies pay the city for use of the pier when they are in port, which resulted in about $18,000 in municipal reve-
nue from the smaller operators and about $60,000 in revenue from the larger cruise lines. He said he is not sure that more ships will visit Rockland in 2016. Typically, the city gets only two or three visits from large ships each summer and fall, he said. “I think it was an anomaly,” he said of getting five large-ship visits this year. “[But] we will see more growth [in ship visits] eventually.” Eastport had seven cruise ship visits this summer, one fewer than the eight that were scheduled, according to staff with the Eastport Port Authority. The Pearl Mist visited four times and the Grand Caribe visited three times, bringing estimated totals of more than 1,100 passengers and more than $137,000 in passenger spending to Maine’s easternmost city. Other ports that had cruise ship visits this year, all of them from smaller vessels, include Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Belfast, Bucksport and Castine.
tionably saved lives then, and it continues its important work today, supporting various missions in Maine and throughout New England. I’m pleased the 133rd will continue to call Maine home and that we will continue to be able to draw upon their extensive experience when necessary.” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, RMaine, also was happy with the news. “I am so pleased to learn that the Army National Guard 133rd Engineer Battalion will stay in Maine,” she said. “This is the right decision for the great state of Maine and for our nation.” The 133rd Engineer Battalion conducts operations that increase military effectiveness, including general engineering tasks in support of state and federal missions, Collins said. “During my discussions with Lt. Gen. Kadavy, the director of the Army National Guard, in October 2015, and my recent travel to U.S. European Command, it could not be clearer how important the National Guard is to Maine and to enabling national security missions overseas,” Collins said. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said keeping the 133rd in Maine was the right thing to do. “I’ve been opposed to swapping them for a combat
battalion from another state and am glad the National Guard Bureau has agreed that it’s a bad idea,” Pingree said. While Maine is safe from changes, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen is worried about the military budget cuts. “If I look at the Army
today and I look at readiness — only 31 percent of our militia is ready to go to battle tomorrow,” Cohen said at a moderated discussion titled “America’s Response to Global Instability,” held last week as part of the Cohen Lecture series at the University of Maine. “It’s never been that low.”
Cohen said the cuts send a message that America is not prepared to other countries, specifically China, Russia and countries within the Middle East. “Our military is being hurt,” Cohen said. “It has harmed our military capability, and many people don’t understand.”
