Peaks Island
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox islands
Peaks Island is the most populous island in Casco Bay, Maine. It is part of the city of Portland and about Template:Convert from downtown. The island is served by Casco Bay Lines and has its own elementary school, library, and police station. It is the only island in Casco Bay served by car ferries.
While small, the island has a variety of businesses, including an ice cream parlor, restaurant, grocery store, kayak rentals, golf cart rentals, art galleries, the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum,<ref>Fifth Maine Regiment Museum</ref> and the Umbrella Cover Museum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The island was originally known as Pond Island. It became Michael's Island after Michael Mitton was given the island on a 60-year lease by his father-in-law, George Cleeve. It was subsequently named Munjoy's Island, for George Munjoy, and Palmer's Island, for Munjoy's son-in-law John Palmer.<ref name=":0">The Origins of the Street Names of the City of Portland, Maine as of 1995 – Norm and Althea Green, Portland Public Library (1995)</ref><ref name=":2">History of Peaks and House Islands – Nathan Goold (1897), p. 14</ref>
Notable visitors and places
George M. Cohan tried his productions out at the island's Gem Theater before taking them to Broadway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jean Stapleton's first professional appearance was in a 1941 production at Greenwood Garden Playhouse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Martin Landau made his professional stage debut in a 1951 production of "Detective Story" at Greenwood Garden, where for several seasons he was a resident cast member.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Gem Theater was destroyed by fire on September 7, 1934.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 1936 fire, the Union House Hotel burned down, as did a row of stores on the north side of Island Ave., including Augustus Carlson's Restaurant, Brackett's Grocery, Small's Bakery, John Cox's gift shop, and eight cottages.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
During World War II, the island was home to a large military defense installation, including the largest structure, Battery Steele, which housed two 16-inch (406-mm) guns. When Battery Steele's guns were first tested, windows on the opposite side of the island shattered.<ref>The Seductions of Fall, The New York Times, 2004-09-10. Accessed 2009-02-21.</ref>
Population
The island had an estimated population of 858 in 2017;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> its population increases in the summer by 2,000 to 4,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Secession efforts
There have been at least six significant movements for Peaks to secede from the city of Portland: in 1883, 1922, 1948, 1955, 1992, and between 2004 and 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most recent effort grew out of a revaluation of the municipality's properties, when average property taxes on Peaks Island increased by over 200 percent.<ref>Home is Where the Heartburn Is Template:Webarchive, Portland Press Herald, 2004-04-07. Accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> Shortly thereafter, a group of island residents organized a committee to investigate seceding from Portland and forming a separate town.<ref>Website of Peaks Island Independence Committee (IIC) Template:Webarchive, accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> A successful petition drive put the issue to an island-wide vote on June 13, 2006.<ref>Minutes of the Portland City Council, April 19, 2006, accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> Of a total of 683 votes, over 57 percent were in favor of secession.<ref>Peaks Votes to Secede Template:Webarchive, The Bollard, 2006-06-13. Accessed 2009-05-31.</ref><ref>"Peaks Independence committee takes on a new role after island secession vote", Island Times, July 2006.</ref>
The Portland City Council unanimously opposed secession.<ref>Minutes of the Portland City Council, June 19, 2006, accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> The council and the secession group, after arguing over whether to hold talks in public or private, failed to negotiate terms.<ref>"Peaks secession negotiations at a stalemate", Island Times, August 2006.</ref><ref>Secession Meeting Turns Nasty, WMTW, 2006-07-21. Accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> In February 2007 the secession group obtained sponsorship for legislation in the Maine State Legislature to incorporate the Town of Peaks Island, subject to a successful referendum.<ref>Peaks Island's future a "crapshoot" Template:Webarchive, The Bollard, 2007-02-11. Accessed 2009-02-24.</ref><ref>Bill would authorize Peaks voteTemplate:Dead link, Portland Press Herald, 2007-04-25. Accessed 2009-05-31.</ref><ref>An Act To Authorize Peaks Island, House Island, Pumpkin Knob and Catnip Island To Secede from the City of Portland, accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> After vigorous debate, the bill was narrowly tabled, "dead" in committee as of May 14, 2007.<ref>Tyler, David, Peaks Secession Movement Encounters Choppy Water at the Legislature Working Waterfront, June, 2007.</ref>
As a result of the secession fight and the urging of state legislators, the Portland City Council agreed to create a seven-member Peaks Island Council for direct liaison.<ref>Minutes of the Portland City Council, Special Meeting, May 21, 2007, accessed 2009-05-31.</ref> But in 2010 most members of the Peaks Island Council resigned, expressing frustration with Portland's unwillingness to work with them.<ref>Billings, Randy,Legislative Hearing slated for Peaks Island Secession Bill The Forecaster, April 5, 2011</ref> With only write-in candidates taking the vacant seats, the council ceased to fulfill its function.<ref>Bucklin, Kate, Peaks Island Officially Has No Councillors The Forecaster, Nov. 02, 2010,</ref> Ongoing discussions between city officials and the council's former chair about establishing some degree of autonomy, such as creating a village corporation within the city, proved unproductive.<ref>Murphy, Edward, Peaks' bid for more autonomy met cooly[sic] Portland Press Herald, Sept 9, 2010.</ref>
As a result of a change in the Maine legislature from Democratic to Republican control, the secession effort regained momentum, with a new bill introduced in 2011 providing for a January 2012 island-wide vote on secession.<ref>Murphy, Edward, Peaks Secession Bill Timeline Stirs Debate, Portland Press Herald 7 March 2011.</ref> But hearings showed an apparent lack of consensus among the islanders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The State and Local Government Committee rejected the bill on the ground that the secession leaders had not followed the legal process: they would need to start over with signature gathering and another referendum.<ref>Bell, Tom, Legislative Panel rejects Peaks Island Secession Portland Press Herald, April 14, 2011</ref>
See also
References
- Notable Items section: Clough, Leon S., editor; Peaks Island 1776–1976 Bicentennial Directory
External links
- Peaks Island Community Calendar with Organization Directory
- Peaks Island Council
- Casco Bay Lines island ferry service
Template:Portland, Maine Template:Casco Bay Template:Maine Islands Template:Authority control