Coastal History: The Maine Aquarium - Press Herald

Coastal History: The Maine Aquarium - Press Herald

Coastal History: The Maine Aquarium - Press Herald

Posted: 17 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST

The Maine Aquarium in Saco, which closed in 1997. The Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay remains open for business. Courtesy Zac McDorr

When I was 12 years old, my mother got me a very special birthday present. While watching the "Great TV Auction" (somebody bring that back!) she had bid on a "Be a Marine Biologist for a Day" ticket. This entitled the bearer to a whole day behind the scenes at the Maine Aquarium in Saco. I was very excited indeed.

Zac McDorr is the founder of the Bath Maine History Center on Facebook. You can reach him at [email protected]

I arrived in Saco wearing my usual baggy sweatpants and huge T-shirt and was greeted by one of the scientists. Sure enough, he took me behind the scenes to the employees-only area, where I could see the back of the tanks and marvel at the giant system of pipes and filters that kept the water safe for the animals. I met the scientists and employees and saw the tanks of breeding or sick fish. It felt amazing to be an insider and see all of the things that the public was normally not allowed to see.

The best part was feeding time. I did not get to feed the penguins, they explained, because apparently I might get bit. But I did get to feed many of the fish, and I starred in one of the seal feedings. Each day the seals were fed three times in front of visitors, and I got to be in there with the trainer. The seals ate fish right out of my hand. What a semi-embarrassing, yet memorable experience.

The same experience was offered again the following year on the "Great TV Auction," and I begged my mother to buy it for me. She thought I should let some other boy or girl have the chance to go.

I dreamed of working there someday and the dream almost came true. In 1997 I moved briefly to Old Orchard Beach and was hired by the Maine Aquarium to take care of a small branch aquarium at the head of the big pier. It would be my job to feed the fish and take care of them twice a day, and I hoped the opportunity might lead to a better job at the actual aquarium in Saco.

However, three days before I was due to start the job, I received a disappointing phone call from the man who hired me. He explained that the aquarium was going out of business. "So this means I'm out of a job?" I asked. "We're all out of a job," he answered.

So much for the dream. I went back to work at Denny's in Brunswick and met my first wife there a few days later. It's safe to say that my life would have taken a very different trajectory if the Maine Aquarium had stayed open.

The Aquarium, which did not receive government funds, had filed for bankruptcy protection. The judge allowed its creditors to sell off the valuable tract of land that it sat on to a developer. The Aquarium owner tried to buy a warehouse to move the aquarium to, but the deal fell through and he sued his own lawyer for malpractice. I wonder what happened to all of the penguins, seals and fish?

Interestingly, the ancient Aquarium website from 23 years ago is still online. It gives a written tour of the building: walking over the duck pond, coming into the entrance to see the penguins on the left and the gift shop on the right, watching a video presentation and meeting the seals Sparky and Fuzzy (Fuzzy was from Georgetown.) Then the tropic exhibit and the shark tank. It even offers $25 for each picture of the aquarium sent in.

Weirdly, though, the homepage offers a $50,000 reward for information about the individuals who were "working behind the scenes to close the Maine Aquarium" and bring them to justice. The owner seems to think that he was the victim of some kind of evil conspiracy to bankrupt the aquarium, and he hopes to recover enough money to get back into business. I wish him well in that endeavor. In the meantime, you should bring your kids down to the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay to get their hands on some real Maine sea life.

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Scanner Reports 1-17-20 - Santa Barbara Edhat

Posted: 17 Jan 2020 08:37 AM PST

By Roger the Scanner Guy

I lost a great friend the other day her name is Liza she worked for PetCo over here on Milpas and when they closed for the never-ending construction of Sprouts grocery store, she transferred to the Upper State store. In my early stages of losing Belinda then Pooh Bear, one of our kitty's, a few months later I bought a Betta Fish from the Dollar Plus store and proceeded to spend hundreds of dollars on supplies to save the fish, I recruited Liza a specialist when it comes to animals of all kinds human and otherwise to help me, SAVE THE FISH HEAD! Without judgment she did. I paid her in rolls from Pandera Verconia, because she would not accept money. After working a full shift at Pet Co she would come over here, test the water in the aquarium then clean out the aquarium if it needed to be cleaned out. If the fish needed medication she would whip up her own medicine and put it in the water her stuff worked, much better then Fish medicine sold in the stores. After a while I drove Liza crazy and she let me know it but never turned away from helping the Bettas in my life.

I found out sort of by accident that her and her Husband Jamey were dedicated Football Fans, she loved the Steelers and he loves the Green Bay Packers, being from the Chicago area I love the Bears they both hate the Bears. I tried to wear my Bears shirts around her every time I went to PetCo she had this look about her. She was not a woman you ever wanted to make angry wearing those shirts made her angry. She was a physically beautiful woman who was down to earth and beautiful inside also/ She loved Animals and dedicated her life to the care of them I will miss seeing her around Rest in Peace Little Liza. HERE are YOUR SCANNER REPORTS.

Scanner Reports, Wednesday:

  • Illegal camper on private property 3500 Block of Modoc female is afraid to go outside because subject is sleeping in the yard
  • 415 Domestic 700 Block of APS
  • Illegal camper back parking lot of bank in vehicle with expired tags 1302 State street
  • 2 Males fighting in DLG Plaza Presidio side left before police arrived.
  • Med call 130 Anacapa street.
  • Male talking to himself 1036 Anacapa.
  • Med call 300 Block of West Yanonali.
  • Highway 101 Northbound highway 246 Vehicle Fire fully involved.
  • Alarm sounding beyond a black door in the 800 Block of East Gutierrez sounds like the beginning of a Clive Barker novel.
  • SBPD on a group at Oak Park.
  • Gas leak outside 1000 Block of Cold Springs Road.
  • 415pc Transient yelling in the parking lot of Jacks Bagel 53 South Milpas.
  • Purse stolen from Launderland 2600 Block of DLV.
  • Med  call 100 Block of Burton Circle.
  • Theft at Macys in the 3800 Block of State street 4 Subjects in a Dodge, 1999 Sedan registered in the 300 Block of Anacapa street involved.
  • UI 5150pc Male yelling 600 Block of State street.
  • Illegal campers in the parking lot of the 76 Station 200 South Milpas.
  • Attempted Car Jack 23 South Hope Ave Crime is getting worse in Santa Barbara it seems.
  • Med call 216 South Milpas street.
  • 415pc Transients in the 76 Station 200 Block of South Milpas street also ripped off coffee.

Scanner Reports, Thursday:

  • SBPD On a subject 300 Block of West Montecito.
  • Med call 4200 Block of Calle Real.
  • 415 Transient in the 3800 Block of State street in front of Pinera Bread. Today he got taken into custody
  • Vehcle vs bicyclist Canon Perdido at San Pascual.
  • Appliance Fire 300 Block of Highway 246
  • Illegal camper on Primavera in a vehicle
  • 500 Block of Bath street female yelling in a driveway 415 Domestic I guess
  • Med call 700 Block of East Anapamu
  • Subject refusing to leave Holiday Inn 17 West Haley
  • Subject cooking on the sidewalk and blocking it 331 West Montecito street
  • 417pc Brandishing a knife Kellogg at Valerio Gas, Calle Real SBSO had him at Gun Point so I guess he went to jail
  • Check the Welfare of a male walking next to the tracks in the 1800 Block of East Cabrillo
  • 500 Block of East DLG Med call
  • 2 Victims of a shooting in North County did not hear an address so no exact location only request for Cal Star and another AMR Unit
  • 20002 Non injury hit and run Alamar at Foothill White BMW involved registered in Solvang
  • Vehicle theft Lobby police department 215 East Figueroa
  • Premises check Oak Park
  • Transients in the creek bed behind the 100 Block of South Soledad.
  • Vehicle into a building Ralphs on Hollister grocery store.

Will that is all outta me for now Have a Great Weekend and before you leave your home or vehicle secure Everything...Peter, Molly, Belinda, Midnight, Merlin, Angel Baby, Pooh Bear, Tom Catm Clancy, Tomicina, Tiger, Shadow, FREDDIE!, Maxwell, Liza, Tiny, Andy, Lola, PoPo, Fish Heads One, and Two, Poncho, Denny, Zeke, Jerry,Walter, Fred, Jonathan, C.J., Brad, Billy, Carl, Stan, Kent, ELMO, Patrick, Christy, Diana, Jim, Ross, Rambo, Sherry, Eddie, Bambi, Lafayette, Ted, Pat, Mavis, Mark, Willie, Bengie, Ricky, Mrs MacArthur, Auntie Helen, David Cox, Po, Marty, Cop John, Bommy, Poppy, June, Muskie, Debbie, Ken, Isabelle, Jerry, Magruder, Don, Edwin, Cory, Crazy Ed, LUCY!, STOBE THE HOBO, KFC, John Hancock, Mickey Mantle, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, John Havlick, Little Mac, Tom Petty, and Chris Willing we will see you on MONday-MONday. Later,  Roger

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