Staff Writer
MARS HILL – The removal of a Web cam that captured scenes from atop Mars Hill Mountain has garnered international response, as visitors to www.crownofmaine.com as former camera viewers air their disapproval.
Dec. 27, 2007, was the last date people had an opportunity to view the scenery from the camera’s position attached to a WAGM tower located on property owned by a local resident, Wendell Pierce.
The Web cam was one of several placed around Aroostook County showing various views of local communities, according to crownofmaine.com administrator Jeff Clark, who wasn’t sure of the precise reason for Pierce’s request to remove the camera from atop the mountain but it may have had to do with a lease agreement.
“The camera was installed in the spring of 2007 – March or April. It was attached to the WAGM TV tower on the top of Mars Hill Mountain. WAGM agreed to donate the attachment space for the camera and Pioneer Wireless agreed to donate the Internet service,” said Clark. “The camera was mostly maintained by myself, for Crown of Maine Networks.”
Clark said the camera looked south, showing the top of Mars Hill Mountain including the wind turbines along the ridge.
“The last image taken from the camera is still up on this site: www.mainewind.org,” he said.
According to Clark, Pierce had a lease agreement with WAGM whereby Pierce received revenues for each attachment on the WAGM tower.
“My understanding of the lease between WAGM and Mr. Pierce is that Pierce gets a percentage of monthly revenues generated by each attachment to WAGM’s tower. Because the camera attachment was donated by WAGM and Pioneer Wireless, it had no revenues associated with it and wasn’t making any money,” said Clark, noting Pierce persisted to seek the camera’s removal, with WAGM ultimately requesting Clark remove it from the tower.
Clark was informed of the situation by Pioneer Wireless.
“Pioneer notified me of the situation on Dec. 27, 2007 and that they would be removing the camera ASAP. I shut it off that same day. It was physically removed Jan. 7 of this year,” said Clark.
Several attempts to reach Pierce for comment – at numbers in Maine and Florida – were unsuccessful at presstime.
Although this may have folks a bit bewildered and upset with the landowner denying visual access to the mountain, Pierce has actually been instrumental in opening areas of the mountain to public use, allowing foot passage along the northernmost section of the International Appalachian Trail, which runs through his property. The trail continues east, eventually crossing the border into Canada.
According to the International Appalachian Trail Web site, “Marie and Wendell Pierce were the first landowners to allow the IAT/SIA to be located on their land. Everyone involved in this trail, now and forevermore, will remember them as the landowners who got the trail started in Maine by allowing construction of the trail, and the first campsite, on their land on Mars Hill Mountain.”
But that does little to alleviate the concerns of would-be tourists to the area who frequented the Web cam on a regular basis just to get a glimpse of Mother Nature at its northern Maine best.
“We’ve gotten several letters regarding the Web cam issue and Mr. Pierce. We have several cameras located around Aroostook County; the Mars Hill unit was the only one affected by the shutdown,” said Clark.
Letters to the editor have been submitted to the Star-Herald from as far away as England.
Mrs. Angela Sanham, of Canterbury, Kent, England, wrote she “thoroughly enjoyed the view of this beautiful area over the past few months” and couldn’t understand why the landowner would do such a thing.
Her husband, Graham Sanham, added his sentiment in another letter, noting, “I am a foreigner who was very fortunate to enjoy a superb vacation with my wife in New England in 2006. We both fell in love with Maine.” He continued, asking the landower, “Why have you elected to deny the opportunity for so many others so many thousands of miles away to enjoy the beautiful views that you yourself enjoy?”
Joseph E. Hart-Bowley, who was once stationed at Loring Air Force Base and is still in the Air Force, enjoyed looking at the various Web cams on crownofmane.com, as he considered his retirement options.
“I am in the Air Force. I am in the process of looking for a place to retire and remember how comfortable I was living in Aroostook County . . . Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed watching the weather on the Web cams on the links there . . . I would think the landowner would want to advertise the beauty and the value of his land with this camera. The photos were beautiful,” wrote Hart-Bowley.
Other letters from places including New York, Florida and Pennsylvania had writers express similar sentiments about the camera’s removal.
With luck, the issue will be resolved before long. Clark is in talks with other property owners about access to possible camera sites elsewhere on the mountain.
“We’ve received at least one offer from another landowner near Mars Hill Mountain – Frank Kearney – expressing an interest in allowing us to place the camera on their property. We’re also in contact with UPC Wind about placing the camera on their tower on top of the mountain,” said Clark. “But we also need to determine if it’s financially feasible for us to do so as there is currently no Internet service on that tower.”
Clark said he hopes to have the camera operational soon.
“I hope to have the camera back up and running in the near future,” said Clark. “For now however, just keep watching our Web site for updates.”
Photo courtesy of Jeff Clark/Crown of Maine
A WEB CAM atop Mars Hill Mountain once provided a scenic glimpse of northern Maine to viewers worldwidewho visited www.crownofmaine.com. The camera was taken offline at the request of the property owner, but plans are to find a new home for it in the near future.
