Photos taken by Will Richard (www.wilfrederichard.com) The Annual Meeting of the IAT/SIA Maine Chapter was a great success. It a great pleasure for members to welcome four thru-hikers of our trail to the Annual Meeting. They were: Denis Webster, Mary Webster, Jason LaLancette and Ellen Wilcox. A visit to the Lumberman’s Museum in Patten was very enjoyable. Ronda Brofey the Executive Director and Bud Blumenstock led us on a tour of their grounds and buildings. It was great seeing how the lumbermen lived in the old days. The pictures, tools and equipment on display provide a glimpse into Maine’s lumbering past. A field trip to Mars Hill Mountain gave people an opportunity to learn more about the geology of the mountain from Dr. Wang and see the recently completed windfarm. It was particularly thrilling to observe the windmills turning in a gentle breeze, creating no emissions, consuming no nonrenewable resource, but still providing electricity so people could cook dinner and light their homes. The evening presentation by Jim Vance, Nova Scotia Coordinator capped off a great day.

Photos taken by Will Richard (www.wilfrederichard.com) Over the course of 2006, the Mars Hill Wind Farm was constructed. Logistically, this was an impressive endeavor. A total of 84 blades, each measuring 124 feet, was shipped all the way from Brazil to Searsport. From Searsport, blades were carried two per special truck to Mars Hill. Then, from Canada, 28 towers and generators, each measuring 262 feet, were trucked from Québec to Mars Hill. Now in place are 28 separate units, each with a height of 386 feet – or about 25 percent taller than is the length of a football field. The Mars Hill Wind Farm now stands ready to generate 37.5 megawatts of energy.

As the International Appalachian Trail also shares Mars Hill Mountain, over the year we have monitored site construction with interest. The images demonstrate that while these towers are now definitely a noticeable part of the landscape, they do not detract from the view. Rather, because of tower placement with an eye to contour of land and spacing, there is an ethereal feel. With a simplicity of wind tower design, one is reminded of other prominent examples of cultural architecture on the land which are pleasant to the eye. For example, there are the pyramids of Egypt, the statues of Easter Island, and the more diminutive inuksuk (stone monuments) of the Inuit of the North American north.

Spring Cleanup 2007 - Participants were: Will Richard, Earl Raymond, Torry Sylvester, Bill Duffy, Dick Anderson, Roger Gilmore, Dave Rand and Anja Whittington. Photos taken by Will Richard & Bill Duffy

Photos taken of the "Downpour Dogs" by Bill Duffy.