Tommystorm

Believe it or not, up until last weekend, I had never been to a Comedy Club. How fitting it was that I was indoctrinated by an evening with Bob Marley, the Maine-born comedian who’s made his way up to the national television night-show circuit. Marley has actually performed many times in my town here in Maine, but i’ve never gone to see him here. I will in the future for sure.

Marley was a riot. Unlike what i’ve heard about him, he used alot of physical and demonstrative comedy - not just words - on this evening at the DC Improv. I was surprised to hear little of his home state of Maine, except for the stories about his growing-up-days with mom and dad and their thickdowneaster drawl.

It has been a long time since i laughed so hard. He didn’t give you a break either. It was like a 45-minute continuous laugh.

Zomg. Go see him, ya moron!

-vs-

The U.S. Men’s National Team will play Sweden on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m. (EDT) at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. The game will be Team USA’s lone tune-up prior to playing in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Halifax and Quebec City, Canada, which begins on May 2.

Read More Here

I am so going.

Tragedy

Its a terrible plane crash occured in Feb 1 near August, Maine’s airport, killing all aboard. Apparently, the pilot/operator was one of the wealthiest women in the world, but made some of the poorest decisions possible during her pre-flight. Among other things, she co-founded Zhone Technologies and Ascend Communications, Inc., which was subsequently purchased by Lucent Technologies.

Short version

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Tuesday on the plane crash that killed two people in West Gardiner earlier this month.

Pilot Jeanette Symons and her 10-year-old son died in the crash, shortly after taking off from Augusta in freezing rain.

The NTSB report does not give a specific cause for the crash, but lists a number of pilot errors that preceded it.

While taxiing to the runway, the plane got stuck in a ditch. The pilot then gave the wrong runway number to the control tower.

Minutes after takeoff, the pilot declared an emergency.

An eyewitness says he saw a plane fly low overhead, then heard a big explosion in the distance. Rescuers found the wreckage a short time later.

Long Version

On February 01, 2008, about 1748 eastern standard time, a Cessna Citation 525, N102PT, crashed in a wooded area in West Gardiner, Maine. The private/instrument-rated pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The flight was operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for a flight from Augusta, Maine to Lincoln, Nebraska. The flight had originated from the Augusta State Airport, about 1745.

Representatives of the fixed base operator (FBO) at Augusta State Airport stated that the airplane was fueled and moved from the ramp into the FBO’s hangar earlier that morning at the pilot’s request. However, the hanger is utilized by a part 121 operator that provides service for that area. The operator canceled its 1630 flight due to the weather condition. The Citation was taken out of the hangar moved back to the ramp area at about that time. The pilot was informed of this possibility at time of the request and understand the other customer had priority over the hangar space.

A person identifying herself as the pilot of N102PT called flight service at about 1701 to file an instrument flight plan from Augusta, Maine to Lincoln, Nebraska, The pilot received a standard weather briefing for the flight at that time. Witnesses stated that the pilot arrived at the airport at about 1715, at which time she and the passenger loaded their personnel effects into the airplane, returned a rental car, and paid for the fuel. She and the passenger then boarded the airplane. Shortly after, about 1730, the airplane’s engines were started and soon after the airplane was observed taxing. The FBO representative heard the pilot’s announcements over the radio in the FBO. He also noticed the airplane was not on the taxiway but rather on the grass area on the south side of the asphalt taxiway. At that time the ground was covered with snow and ice. For the past hour and half the weather condition had turned from light snow to freezing rain and ice was observed covering the cars in the parking lot. The FBO representative noted the pilot did not turn on the airports taxi and runways light via the common airport frequency radio channel. It was observed that the airplane traveled through a ditch, which was cover with ice and snow. At about that time the airplane’s engines were heard at a high rate of power. It was later discovered that the airplane’s left main tire broke through the ice and become stuck in the ditch. The airplane continued on the grass area after the high engine power was heard. The FBO representative heard the pilot announced the wrong runway (runway 35) which they were planning to depart from. The FBO representative turned on the runway and taxi lights after hearing the incorrect runway announcement. The pilot later announced a change of departing from runway 35 to runway 17, while the airplane was observed back taxing on runway 26 onto taxiway “C” Charlie. At about 1745 the announcement for departure from runway 17 was heard; the FBO representative observed the departure at that time.

After takeoff the pilot contacted Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and reported that they were at 1,000 feet for 10,000. ATC requested to the pilot to squawk ident on the transponder. Radar contact was made with the airplane when it was about 2 mile southwest of the Augusta State Airport. About one minute later, the pilot declared an emergency and stated “We’ve got an attitude indicator failure”. About seven seconds later. The pilot announced over the frequency they were not certain which way they were turning. Radar contact was last shortly after that.

At about 1749, local authorities received several 911 calls from residents reporting of a possible airplane crash. A short time later the airplane wreckage was located about 6 miles south-southwest of the Augusta State Airport. One witness stated to local law enforcement authorities he saw an airplane fly overhead at a low altitude and moments later observed a large explosion off in the distance.

A COMPLEX SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL TRACK OUT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES TONIGHT AND MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD…REACHING NEAR THE GULF OF MAINE BY LATE WEDNESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY EVENING. SNOW WILL INITIALLY OVERSPREAD NEW HAMPSHIRE AND WESTERN MAINE TONIGHT WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY…THE SNOW WILL MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN…AND COULD EVEN CHANGE TO ALL RAIN ALONG THE COAST BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF AND END BY LATER WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Here’s a pic of a recent snowstorm on my front deck.

CARIBOU (AP) — The snow keeps falling in northern Maine, where Caribou has now picked up more ten feet for the season.While people in southern Maine may think it’s been snowy for them, some in northern Maine are describing their snowfall as “never-ending.”Portland has gotten almost 70 inches this season, but Caribou is closing in on 122 inches, putting it on track for its snowiest season ever.The National Weather Service says Caribou had 97.8 inches at the end of January, the highest total at that date since records began being kept in 1939.The snowiest winter on record in Caribou was in 1955, when 181 inches fell.BANGOR (NEWSCENTER) — Officials at the Maine Department of Transportation say suppliers don’t have enough trucks to haul salt fast enough to keep up with demand.

I saw the first gas price under $3 in almost a year today.

Gas Prices Fall In Maine: “PORTLAND (AP) — The start of a new work week is bringing slightly lower gas prices.”

UMaine Team Develops a New Method to Make Composites: “

ORONO — Fabrics, wood, concrete, ceramics and other materials are often infused with resin to produce a stronger, more durable composite product - in the marine, automotive, construct…”

(Via University of Maine - News Headlines.)

Reserve Your Campground Today: “AUGUSTA (AP) — Camping season is still months away in Maine, but it’s not too early to begin making camp site reservations at the state’s campgrounds.”

(Via WCSH6.com - NEWS CENTER Local News.)

Obama Wins Maine: “(NEWS CENTER) — Barack Obama makes it a clean sweep this weekend adding Maine to his list of victories. With 99% of precincts reporting, his margin is currently 59% to Hillary Clinton’s 40%.”

(Via WCSH6.com - NEWS CENTER Local News.)