BANGOR, Maine — No, that shaft of solid light jutting up through the darkness and cloud cover and sweeping the night sky in Bangor and Brewer isn’t the bat signal.
But McDonald’s franchise owner Gary Eckmann wouldn’t mind if people start calling it the Big Mac signal.
The searchlight made its initial appearance almost a month ago over Bangor, generating lots of conversation, conjecture and theories about its source, meaning and purpose.
“I put the searchlight up to draw attention to our restaurant and call attention to our 24-hour drive-thru in Bangor,” said Eckmann.
Eckmann said the 24-7 Main Street McDonald’s operation has been going on since Memorial Day weekend on a trial basis.
“We want to capitalize on the potential of all the folks coming down for the concerts on the waterfront and the festivals,” he explained. “There was a really busy period during the past month where they had a lot of shows.”
Hundreds of people noticed the waving beam of light in the sky, prompting jokes and talk of a Bangor bat signal.
“It’s something we’ve joked about doing on many occasions,” said Eckmann. “I get a lot of questions and comments about it, which is what you want.”
Eckmann bought the searchlight at a McDonald’s national business conference last spring to use as a promotional tool at his seven franchises — four in Bangor and one each in Brewer, Dover-Foxcroft and Millinocket.
“McDonald’s franchises all over the country have been using them for years,” Eckmann said. “We rented one and used it several years back for a couple days, maybe on Broadway, for some kind of promotion.”
The light’s reign on the roof at the Main Street franchise lasted just a little over a week, however, as Eckmann was informed it violated Bangor city code.
“We do have a code regarding lighting that requires that any light leaving your property be of only a certain intensity, and obviously a searchlight would exceed that,” said Art Morgan, Bangor’s city engineer.
Eckmann, who started working for McDonald’s in high school, said city officials told him they got a lot of calls from residents, a few of whom expressed concern.
“They asked me to remove it, and I agreed because I’ve always had an excellent working relationship with the city of Bangor,” he added.
The portable light — a two-piece unit about the size of a barrel and weighing about 100 pounds — disappeared for a few days but made its return over Brewer about a week ago. Eckmann’s McDonald’s on Wilson Street is now the one that’s beaming.
Brewer has no problem with the searchlight, Brewer Code Enforcement Officer Ben Breadmore said, because the Wilson Street McDonald’s is in a business district.
Breadmore quoted the code language: “Any operation or activity producing light shall be conducted so that direct or indirect illumination from the source of light shall not cause illumination in excess of 0.5 candles in any residential district.”
Morgan said Bangor’s lighting code language is different.
“We specifically exclude spotlight and floodlights in our code,” he explained while reading part of the code language. “No floods or spot luminaires shall be aimed or focused on any nearby residential parcel. Direct or indirect illumination shall not exceed one half foot candle upon any abutting residential properties.”
Bangor’s lighting code also specifically forbids emitting any direct light above its horizontal plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration has no specific rules or restrictions on searchlights.
“The FAA does not have any rules or regs on the books regarding the use of searchlights as of today,” said Robbie Beaton, Bangor International Airport’s superintendent of operations. “However, one way they would intercede is if someone was using such a light and that directly jeopardized or infringed on an aircraft’s ability to take off, land or fly.”
Eckmann wouldn’t divulge the light’s cost but said it was “relatively expensive.” He said he will continue to use the searchlight, where allowed, for different activities and promotions.
He will have a few excuses to use it next year, as 2013 marks his 30th year as a McDonald’s franchise owner and 50th as an employee or associate of McDonald’s.
Come on people in bangor need to relax it is only a freaking light!!
Until you realize that it was brighter than the airport lights, and that is was beaming over houses and apartments all night long.
When it’s illuminating your backyard, you and I can have a nice discussion about it. Until then, yes, its a nuisance!
Once again.. Brewer means business. Wow.
yea, right
people in bangor will continue to complain, if its not music, noise, motorcycles driving by, its lights. they forget they chose to live in the city and not in the woods.
What do you expect from the bath salt druggies?
Like i have said before if people are not complaining about one thing it’s another
Like you complaining about other people’s opinion?? Light doesn’t bother me but I live three houses away from a convenience store where a car pulls in with loud music and when they open the car door the music blasting out sounds like it is right in my room then they come back out and open the car door again.. Since you can’t hear it, am I wrong to complain about it?
I would agree with you, but I like the concerts and have no problem with them. I do not mind the motorcycles, and under normal circumstances I would have no problems with a spotlight. Now speaking for the people who live behind the McDonald, the big problem with this spotlight was that it was on ALL NIGHT LONG. This statement that you make I will file under “as long as it is not in my back yard” because if the shoe was on the other foot you would have a problem. That light when it was on the building was brighter than the flashing lights at the airport. I applaud the city for following up on the light and making a business follow the codes.
I lived one block from the McDonald’s in question, so it WAS in my back yard. Unless you sleep with your eyes open, I’m not sure how it was a problem. It was aimed at the sky, not in anyone’s window. It really didn’t hurt/bother anyone.
If the Bangor code says no spotlights, then so be it. But anyone that complains about a silly spotlight, pointed straight up, is foolish and a busy body.
I live within an area that can see that spotlight as well (but then again who couldn’t see it) and I do not sleep with my eyes open, but I do look up at the sky, and I do notice when lights are brighter than the airport. Having a pilot friend, he also found that the spotlight through him off at first because he thought it was a new light of theirs until he got closer. I also found it quite interesting listening to people that were quite a ways outside of town. Seems you could see this for at least 3 to 4 towns away depending on the clouds(or lack of) in the sky. When I asked a few of them if they could see the airport lights on a night similar to those, they said no. So I stand by the fact that I think that was light was overkill. If it was not as bright, then I probably would not say anything.
Then stop looking at it!!
When it was on it was kinda hard for people to do that when it is the main thing they see from there home… The point of the light was to draw attention… Well it did it… What I have heard is mainly negative attention, and I actually agree…
Now that it is off, it is easy not to look at or notice even when you don’t want to. Since it has been off I am hearing a lot of “thank goodness that’s gone” comments.
Yes, it DID hurt/bother someone. Just not you. So, leave it to who it bothered to deal with it, and you can stay out of it. Stop trying to minimize someone elses experience because it didn’t match yours. And, by the way, one block away is NOT your backyard. If it was your backyard, it would be zero blocks away.
Don’t be so hypersensitive. It’s not like it’s the Nellis nuclear test range next to your house. It’s a spot light.
Try 53 windwills with blinking red lights on for size, you won’t care for that much either.
I heard those “windwills” can be a real thorn in one’s side…
Funny. You omit the verb from your sentence pointing out someone’s typo.
Admitted, it is ironic that I made a typo while correcting a typo.. However, “in” is a preposition, not a verb…
I agree with daved931, I don’t live too far from the McDonald’s and I didn’t see it as a problem. As a matter of fact, I thought it was kind of a neat way of advertising. At least SOME businesses in this town don’t roll up the sidewalk at 8 p.m…
Dave, we’re practically neighbors, and I guess my house is situated differently than yours. From the window directly opposite the couch I got to watch that thing sweep the sky every 30 sec or so, ALL NIGHT. From my bedroom window? Same thing. At first it was kind of a novelty, after a while it just got annoying. Kinda like a dog that barks non-stop.
It always makes me crazy when people who live in a city complain about the things that come with living in a city.
Even people outside the city could see this light and did not like it, so in this case it was not JUST city people complaining. In fact some people outside the city felt it was overkill for a McDonald’s
I find trees to be a nuisance.. I live in a city, but I can see trees from my window, off in the distance… something must be done.
I am sure you would not like it if I kept shining a light in your window all night long while you or your family was trying to sleep/or relax… So I will file you comments under “as long as it is not in my back yard, I will be a nuisance to others who do have the problem”.
It doesn’t shine into windows, it shines into the sky..
And yet people could see it quite easily in there windows. My point was you would not like it. So guess what… Others did not like it either. And the ones with those “nuisance trees” on their property way off in the distance that you don’t like had it just a little better if those trees were on that side of the house.
I think you’re making mountains out of mole hills, my friend.
The obnoxious light pollution from that waving beacon (which we at first, with great excitement and a couple glasses of wine, thought was aliens then concluded it must be the Hollywood Slots…now the culprit is revealed) is very much an intrusion here in Holden. I have noticed over the past twenty years how the growth in Brewer has taken away the night sky. I did not choose to live in the city of Brewer and I don’t particularly like the way the choices made by the business owners and city government effect the quality of life and the environment of the surrounding areas. Turn it off, please.
Wendy’s® is the real choice in fast food.
Another pointless comment.
In defense of dolbylandfill, Baconators are pretty tasty.
Amen, brother.
Reminds me of the movie, Dumb and Dumber.
Isn’t Bangor known as La Ville-lumière? Make mine a Royal with cheese!
Last I knew Bangor is not known as Paris
I noticed this and assumed it came from Hollywood Casino. Does McDonald’s really need help drawing attention to itself? Regardless, it is not a distraction at all.
The thing is – if I were driving down the freeway late at night and in search of food, I would hardly expect a searchlight to mean McDonalds. I would expect it to be something more like the arena or casino and that would actually dissuade me from stopping.
We don’t need anymore light in the sky, let alone useless deliberate light to drown out the stars…
Get a life. For the short time McDonald’s lite it up each time, I can’t believe you were out looking at the stars.
Short time? It was on all night! You clearly don’t live anywhere near McDonalds, or you would have seen it.
But I bet someone was, and a business shouldn’t ruin it for anyone. Lots of places have codes about upshineing light, I know, I hate codes too, but don’t do harm on purpose!!!
Give me a break… It was on when I was driving by at 3am… It was on when I drove by at 2am… Heck you could even see it in the news about a robbery in Brewer that happened around the midnight hour one night. It was on all night long every night for at least a week. I am sure those people are happy they don’t see it any more.
It was several weeks. They were decent enough to turn it ff during the fireworks, luckily.
No but I sure couldn’t watch TV with that thing sweeping across the sky every 30 sec., through the window opposite the couch… literally from sundown to sunup.
At first it was no big deal, but it got pretty obnoxious pretty fast.
I want one on every business in Bangor. It ought to be a law
Wow, front page news on the BDN website!
Typical Bangor. How anti-business can this City be?
You say that, and Bangor has new business coming in…. Both Bangor and Brewer are good for businesses
God, it’s a McDonald’s. Relax.
Conversely, how anti-resident can they be?
This imapcted area is part of the ” Neighborhood Revitalization Project” – I don’t see how adding a nuisance light was revitalizing anything, except maybe revenues to Bangor Hydro.
Don’t see that ordinance in Bangor excluding spotlights from law enforcement ground or air….oh wait nevermind law is always excluded, I mean McDonalds was using that light I am sure a lot less then law enforcement does.
I’m not even sure what you’re talking about, but that darned thing was on for about 12 hours every single day (night actually).
Brewer means Business!
It’s light pollution. I would rather see the stars than all the lights, and I am very sad and disappointed the milky way used to be clear in Brewer but has faded away….. :(
In those couple weeks there were solar flares. Would be a better view without all the lights.
Some places in Florida have to turn off the lights for a bit. The turtles would not come up on the shores to breed, so they have a lights out season so the turtles will lay their eggs. We all live together on this planet, not just humans. What other smaller things are we missing?
I have also heard stories how vibrant the stars are and the milky way during that season and many enjoy the views.
If you don’t want to see lights, move to the sticks. Pretty simple.
WE DON’T WANT THEM HERE DAVE !!! crybaby city slickers !
Actually here in the city we have nice ordinances that are there toi protect from this sort of thing. Out in the sticks you ahve no such protection, unless you are lucky enough to have a great big land buffer around your house. Plenty of folks in hte country live within sight of several other houses, and I bet if any one of them installed a thing like this on their roof there would surely be complaints.
Turn the damn thing off..
“‘We do have a code regarding lighting that requires that any light leaving your property be of only a certain intensity, and obviously a searchlight would exceed that,’ said Art Morgan, Bangor’s city engineer.”
Except, of course, if the property is being used by Hollywood Slots, which used two such lights for a few days upon opening…
Yes, I was thinking the same darn thing.
It’s who you know???
Good point, but a few days is much different than every single night for weeks or months.
Well I think its a great addition to the bangor shows. However theres tons of ingorant people who won’t accept change. This along with the waterfront has given this area alot of positive attention that we need. It makes Bangor a more exciting place to live. Its 2012. Live Love and Not player hate!
Not sure how a rotating light atop a fast food restaurant equates with more excitement… I guess if you never leave the sticks, that might be purty durn excitin’!
What a waste of electricity.
While I don’t like the idea of adding to the night light pollution, it was good to see a business leader responding to an issue in a responsible and considerate manner. He could have thrown a fit or issued an ultimatum to allow him to do as he wants or he’ll cut jobs or not pay his taxes. Maybe he should run for Gov’nah and return civility and professionalism to the Blaine House.
Brilliant….it’s like the bat signal….but coming from McLipids we can all cat it the FAT signal.
I would just like to make a few observations. First, you would expect to see
a spot for miles around. It’s a spotlight. The fresnel lens guarantees that
virtually all the light points to the heavens. I don’t want to minimize or take
pot-shots at neighbors, but for it to shine in your bedroom window any more than
a streetlight your house would have to be 50′ in the air and laying on it’s
side.
Comparisons to the casino, car dealerships, the airport, etc.,
while interesting, have no bearing on the situation. Mr. Eckmann cheerfully
removed it, just as soon a he was made aware that it violated an ordinance and
that there were complaints. I have known Mr. Eckmann for the past 44 years and
feel comfortable in saying that if the was no ordinance, but had been
complaints, he would have removed it. He has always tried to be a good neighbor
and a solid responsible Bangorian.
If you need proof of this, look above
where it says “Similar Articles”, or google Mr. Eckmann AND his restaurants.
Again and again he appears in stories locally and in Augusta being highlighted
for his donations, generosity, and spirit of volunteerism. He is also a solid
employer in Bangor, Brewer, Millinocket, & Dover-Foxcroft. Not only has he
provide literally hundreds of jobs in the Bangor metroplex for over 20 years in
his restaurants, and main office for his managers and crews, but many other
local businesses from printers, to refrigeration service companies do much work
for him. At a time when certain folks have sent so many jobs to China, his
homegrown business provides a reliable, always local boost to Bangor’s
economy.
To summarize, Mr. Eckmann has always stood with the community,
been a good and considerate neighbor, provided a source of solid employment
directly and indirectly, and been generous and charitable. Bangor, Brewer, etc.
are fortunate to have him and I am proud to say I am his son!
You know what I like about this article? Guy starts out as an associate and ends up with seven locations. It goes to show that a good work ethic is the most important ingredient for success.
Doesnt anyone buy SHADES anymore? Now stop looking out the window and go to sleep already!
It’s the FAT signal