Issues and Challenges
Goal
To accurately inform the public about the trash in and around Mackerel Cove.
Pictures from the trash clean up in September
By Sam, Tiahna, and Brandon
Video Production
By Emily, Kyle, Jared, and Paige
This article was found by Ryan in the Art Group.
It was found in the Times Record.
Mackerel Cove Beach Becoming a Junkyard
HARPSWELL — Some people are using one of this town's most scenic beaches as a junkyard, and one resident would like to see it stop. The beach at Mackerel Cove on Bailey Island is littered with everything from Styrofoam coffee cups to whole junked boats. Walter Phillips, president of the Harpswell Heritage Society, told selectmen recently it's time to clean it up. The Abner Point Road beach was donated to the town in 1986 under a conservation easement. Phillips and his group oversee the easement, which allows for seasonal recreational and water-based activities. Katherine Chatterjee, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said fishermen are allowed to store their boats and traps there on a seasonal basis, which is defined as seven months. However, some people have been abusing that rule. Some of the piles of bent and rusted lobster traps with tangles of frayed rope have been there far longer than a season. Rotting boats interrupt the thick patches of wild roses, littered with trash, which grow out of control. "I wish I could make my own roses grow like that," said Phillips. The timber fence that was built around the parking lot in 1995 is falling into disrepair, and three pieces of rope – used as swings – hanging from a tree nearby pose a liability risk for the town. An American Red Cross Monument is hardly visible through the overgrown rose bushes around it. The inscription on the monument is about how the Red Cross works to prevent health threats before they happen – by keeping the beach clean. Selectmen visited the cove recently. "I think we all agree it was a terrible mess," said Chatterjee. The selectmen responded by authorizing the funds to repair the fence around the parking lot, and Chipman suggested that the rope swings be cut down. As for the rest of the stuff dumped there, selectmen plan to find out who owns it and have it removed. "We were appalled when we saw the place," Chatterjee told Phillips. "We're glad you brought it to our attention."
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Group members: Kyle,Tiahna, Brandon, Jared, Paige, Sam, Emily