Wish List

“If we had a mass disaster, what are we going to do?”

Tom Iverson Jr.

Director of the Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency

Tom Iverson Jr., director of the Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency in Maine, took his wish list to county commissioners last month. At the top of his list? A portable morgue. Made me wonder: What’s been happening in Piscataquis County, with its picturesque forests and 17,535 residents, to give Mr. Iverson concern? I did a quick Google search. Perhaps the county had suffered calamitous natural disasters. Not really—mostly what it suffers are snowstorms, some pretty darn heavy, but this is Maine so that can’t be unexpected. Okay, maybe a catastrophe? There was a terrible fire in 1947 that burned 175,000 acres, but the fire was in southeastern Maine and Piscataquis County is in the middle of the state. How about an epidemic? The only one I could find was a blight epidemic, and that one attacked plants not people.

So what put the bee in Mr. Iverson’s bonnet? He’s concerned because Piscataquis County hosts events, such as the U.S. Cross Country snowmobile races, that draw thousands of people each year and, worst case scenario, what if something terrible happened during such an event? That might give you pause for thought. So how big would this portable morgue be? According to Mr. Iverson, it would be a “rack morgue” and could keep 16 bodies cooled at one time. Hmm. Looking at the big picture in Piscataquis County, perhaps Mr. Iverson’s wish list would do better to include parkas and snow shovels and not cooling racks for bodies.

Read the Article ® Pitch made for purchase of portable morgue for Piscataquis County

Not Your Grandma’s Coffee Shop

“I wanted to have some fun; I wanted to see people smile.”

Donald Crabtree, Owner of Grand View Coffee Shop

A small town’s restaurant says a lot about the town itself. Most boast a mom and pop joint—the kind that serves up biscuits and gravy for breakfast and broasted chicken for dinner. A lot of these do double-duty as a tavern, with a long bar up front and a few scattered tables in the back. It’s a place for locals to share a cup of coffee or cold beer, swap some gossip, and get a bite to eat. But there’s one coffee shop in Maine that has stepped outside the box—way out—and has been pushing the limits of small town eateries, and the buttons of locals.

Its name says it all: the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine (population 4,518). Yep, a topless coffee shop. The waitresses serve up a $3 cup of coffee ($6 for refills) with a smile and . . . shall we say, a twinkle? The regulars love it; the locals hate it. The owner, Donald Crabtree, says he’s simply trying to make a living like everyone else and have some fun along the way.

The restaurant has been around for two years, and it was burned down once. It doesn’t violate zoning codes, but its opening did prompt Vassalboro, and many surrounding communities, to tighten zoning restrictions. It’s been a bumpy road for the little coffee shop, and that road will soon be coming to an end. Mr. Crabtree announced he’ll be closing when his inventory runs out. Like a lot of small businesses, it’s been squeezed by the economy—not everyone can afford $6 refills these days. On top of that, Mr. Crabtree ran afoul of authorities recently when he posted a sign advertising: “Boobies wanted.” It wasn’t the message that was the problem—the sign was too big. Yes, it turns out that size matters.

Read the Article ® Owner plans to close Grand View Topless Coffee Shop

Keeping It Local

“What makes a local currency work is

that you spend it as fast as possible.”

Josh Freeman, Founder of North Fork Shares

North Fork shares wealth with its own currency

The Buck Stops Here

Faced with a struggling economy, the folks in the mountain town of North Fork, California have turned to an age-old stimulus plan: they’re printing their own money. The group grew tired of seeing their community’s hard-earned bucks roll downhill to the big city of Fresno and so they gathered in a barn last year and cranked out their own currency, called North Fork Shares.

Read the Article ® North Fork shares wealth with its own currency: Town has come up with a stimulus program designed to keep money in the local economy

Of the Community, By the Community, For the Community

Voters in two small towns in Maine say they know best how to regulate small farms within their communities, and they’ve passed ordinances that would make small-scale farmers exempt from state and federal regulations if they sell directly to consumers. Supporters say the streamlined system will help small farms grow, but state regulators say they have the last word when it comes to rules.

Read the Article ® Maine towns try to loosen reins on local farms

If You Pay Them, They Will Build

Town leaders in Barnesville, Minnesota have been hard at work attracting folks to their community. First, they offered free lots to newcomers willing to build. Then, they sweetened the pot with utility incentives. And now—cold, hard cash: twenty-five hundred bucks to the first four people who move to their town and build a home.

Read the Article ® Barnesville offers an incentive to those looking to build a new home