Boat deal saddens some in Eastport
11/27/09 | 17 comments

Boat deal saddens some in Eastport


By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN MILLER
The Otto Miller in the Travelift coming out of the water.

EASTPORT, Maine — A special boat, one that Eastporters have a sentimental attachment to, was sold to the highest bidder this week — a bid of $68,750 from a Machiasport lobster fisherman.

The 36-foot boat, owned by Washington County Community College, had been sitting in dry dock for three years, and despite a last-minute attempt that reached as high as Gov. John Baldacci’s office, the town of Eastport was unsuccessful in trying to bring the boat back home.

The buildings and property of what was known then as the WCCC Boat School were returned to the city three years ago through legislative approval after the Maine Community College System decided to abandon the marine trades program in Eastport.

The property originally had been transferred from the city to the state for the program to locate in Eastport and has been operating for more than 30 years.

Eastport now leases the school to Husson University of Bangor, which continues to run the school today.

But at the time of the sale, a special boat — the Otto Miller — ended up leaving the school for the WCCC campus. WCCC officials said it was intended as an important tool for their outdoor recreation class.

The Otto Miller was named after an Eastport man who was instrumental in the growth of the Boat School during its early years and was considered by many people to be a significant part of the school’s history.

“There was great hope the boat would remain part of the school’s rich history,” Eastport Town Manager George “Bud” Finch said this week.

State Sen. Kevin Raye said there was no brouhaha when the boat originally left the school and went to WCCC. “They said they needed it,” he said. “But there was a ripple of dismay and concern. There was great emotional attachment to the vessel.”

Suddenly last week, however, the boat was offered for sale by WCCC in a local newspaper with a minimum bid of $65,000. It had not been used for any WCCC programming.

Officials, including Raye, town councilors, Finch and boat school officials, scrambled to come up with a plan to save the boat and return it to the school.

Raye said he even spoke to Gov. Baldacci about saving the boat. “We asked him to help find a resolution. Basically, Eastport and the Boat School were trying to buy back what they believed was rightfully theirs.”

WCCC President William Cassidy said the boat was considered part of WCCC’s inventory. He said the adventure recreation and tourism classes couldn’t afford the Otto Miller’s maintenance and preferred to use fixed-keel sailboats, kayaks and canoes.

“We decided to liquidate the Otto Miller for a fixed-keel sailboat,” Cassidy said. “There is no money coming from the state, and we must be stewards of what we have.”

Meanwhile, a plan was being worked on behind the scenes that would have allowed Eastport, the Port of Eastport and Ocean Renewable Power Co. to partner in the purchase of the boat. The plan would return the Otto Miller to the Boat School but allow the power company to use it as part of their project of installing hydro-turbines in Cobscook Bay.

But the plan was a delicate one. “We were walking on eggshells,” Finch said. “I really thought, however, that we were going to win this one.

“The sale of the boat by WCCC was without opportunity for the city to negotiate its purchase and brought somewhat of a disappointing ending to the transition of the school properties from the state to the city,” Finch said.

In addition to resurrecting the marine trades program under Husson University, the Boat School facility also houses the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology, a distance learning marine architectural school, a research center under the auspices of the University of Maine Sea Grant Program and Ocean Renewable Power Co.

The facility also provides both indoor and outdoor maintenance work space for the U.S. Coast Guard, Cook Aquaculture and a number of fishermen.

Finch said those who worked to bring the Otto Miller home are very disappointed but will continue to work to search for an alternative solution to their boating needs.

“We will also continue to recognize the significance of Otto Miller and his dedication to the marine trades program,” Finch said.

After the bid closure, Cassidy said he is happy the Otto Miller will “now be supporting the local economy” as a working fishing vessel.

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Comments
17 comments on this item
On 11/27/09 at 6:46 AM, SammieJ wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It's good to see as the Senate Minority Leader, Raye is worrying more about a boat rather than worrying about the mess Augusta has created for us.

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On 11/27/09 at 7:12 AM, sonnysydupp wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Everybody wanted it, but nobody bid? We ebayers know better than that.

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On 11/27/09 at 8:08 AM, aunttellie wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

A recent Quoddy Tides letter to the editor referred to funds passed out by the state and where they went. The author made suggestions as to good causes for the funds. A washer and dryer for the boat school was on the list. If this vessel is indeed part of the school's inventory, perhaps Santa will be kind, and the linens will indeed be laundered on sight.

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On 11/27/09 at 11:42 AM, eastporta wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If more people actually knew about cassidy's disdain for what was the Boat School in Eastport, they would also know that he is smiling with a degree of satisfaction that this vessel is gone. cassidy has systematically and methodically, bit by bit, taken action, mostly by words; to dismantle the old program. To this, one has to congratulate him and say "thank-you for nothing!"

In the same breath, Husson is to applauded and recognized for taking the necessary steps to keep the boat school in operation, I truly wish them well in this endeavor.

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On 11/27/09 at 12:07 PM, howboutthat wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Casssidy now retired from WCCC is a good thing. Little puppet man . His head must be swollen from this last transaction with the Otto Miller. The vessel from the Boat School that WCCC had to have. Why didn't he contact the Boat School or Husson before trying to sell the Otto Miller. Sneaky little dwarf! Those who know the truth about this little man have no respect for him and for good reason.

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On 11/27/09 at 2:55 PM, ralphmcdevitts wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

howboutthat, are you insane? i think i have the finger on the pulse of people in calais and bill cassidy is condisederd one of the finest individuals that this fine state has to offer. the boat is property of WCCC. how anyone can expect them to just give it away is beyond me. AND if it was so important, why didn't husson pony up the money for it?

closing the boat school was a tough decision however fiscally it made 100% sense. i'm not going to agrue that it isn't important however all of these decisions are about the money. i'm glad husson is now involved but honestly do not hold your breath.

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On 11/27/09 at 4:37 PM, eastporta wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

if this person is "one of the finest individuals that this fine state has to offer", as written above, then the mystery has been solved as to why this state is so screwed up in more ways than one.

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On 11/27/09 at 7:18 PM, ralphmcdevitts wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

eastporta, if you knew anything you would acknowledge the political opinion of mr. cassidy is exactly the opposite of how this state has been run for the last 30 plus years.

therefore, i'd recommend to you sir/madam, conduct yourself in a manor that william cassidy would approve.

but i digress, you obviously have a dog in this fight for the boat school so maybe instead of your hidden rants you could have rallied the troops, submitted a bid, and brought the OLLY back to easport. when the phone didnt ring i knew it was you calling to do something about it.

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On 11/28/09 at 12:20 PM, eastporta wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

if what you say about "the man" is true........ then it is quite apparent nobody cares about his opinion, kind of like how I don't care about yours.

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On 11/30/09 at 7:51 AM, MrNixxon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I think it's a damn shame. I also think it was done simply for spite. Just part of that old "Calais v. every other town in the county" rivalry.

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On 11/30/09 at 12:41 PM, stcroixvalley1 wrote: Click here to view hidden comment         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden
On 12/1/09 at 8:06 AM, MrNixxon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

"And referring this as a Calais vs other town... ah.. it's Washington County Community College... not Calais Community College. The City of Calais had no involvement in this MrNixxon, so where do you come off! "

Someone should point that fact out to Calais. I'm surte of Mr Cassidy's integrity; I know him a bit and the family more so. But IMHO, I still see it the way I called it. I've had family go through there and paid tution myself. Very helpfull people there along those lines. The fiscal command and control may be state but the attitude is pure Calaiis. It has nothing to do with the city govt.

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On 12/1/09 at 8:46 PM, howboutthat wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

ralphmcdevitts, do you have any idea what you are talking about? You are right about the boat having been the property of WCCC. When the Boat school was taken over by Husson., WCCC was adamant about retaining the Otto Miller among other items that they should have left with the Boat School.. Why would they want to keep the Otto Miller? for what? GREED....SPITE that's why. I have no respect for Bill Cassidy and how he let the Boat School fall through the cracks. You must be one of hos cronies.

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On 12/2/09 at 8:19 AM, ralphmcdevitts wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

howboutthat, obviously a bit more then you do. everything you stated in your comments is opinion however the one fact you provide "You are right about the boat having been the property of WCCC" is exactly what i said and which you corroborate. thank you for confirming i do know what i'm talking about.

any i'm not one of his cronnies but sounds like you might be one that has been sucking off the teets of the boat school. keep good suction while you can.

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On 12/2/09 at 9:30 PM, howboutthat wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Wrong again ralphie baby! I do work and work my butt off for a living - unlike some of those at WCCC who are sucking off the state. Looks like the college is facing some layoffs. Not a bad idea. And, I never said that you were wrong re: who owned the Otto Miller. My point, if you had read what I wrote was that the college should not have taken the boat to begin with, What the hell does a Community college focusing primarliy on liberal arts want a $65K boat for other than to sell it. Greed I say - all about greed and Cassidy did it just for that reason...in my opinion.

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On 12/3/09 at 1:14 PM, ralphmcdevitts wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

yeah, i work hard too in the private sector so we have that in common. we also agree it's WCCC property so they can do what they want with it.

husson/boat school should have put up a stink way back when and resolved it then and then you and i wouldn't be disagreeing on the now.

oh well, what's done is done

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On 12/3/09 at 10:40 PM, howboutthat wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Time to move on....

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