Newly Arrived from Wyoming, This Portland  Couple Enjoyed the Peace and Social Distancing at Jones Landing Today.  “I Would Not Want it to be Much More Crowded Than It is Now,” he said a Nursing Student in Portland. “People Really Take Wearing Face Coverings Here Seriously.”

Carol ?, a Co-founder of GEM, an Art Gallery on Peaks Island, Who is Opposed to the Jones Landing Reggea Sunday.

Milly’s Skillet, a Food Truck, with the Best Breakfast Sandwich Eaten by this Blogger!  Celia Gonaghan, is the New Manager of the Skillet This year.

Normally, BC-19, imbibers packed the waterfront building enjoying Reggae at Jones Landing on Peaks Island.  A 20 year or so tradition that filled the Casco Bay Ferry boats arriving from Portland, turned ferry boat crews into sometimes nasties  unaccustomed to managing overcrowding that cascaded into the narrow street beside its destination on the Island, year round residents have been fed up with it all for years.

So when waterfront property owner Robin Cook, tried to re-open up again under Governor Mills’ restrictions. the community rose up in defiance.   And residents of Peaks Island won. Succumbing to public pressure, Cook decided not to reopen.  Rather, she reached an agreement with Milly’s Skillet, a food truck that adjoins Jones Landing on Peaks Island.

Patrons order from Milly’s Skillet and their food order will be delivered to Jones Landing to enjoy with their drink order there while soaking in the unencumbered  Sunday afternoon view.

“How can you social distance when you are drinking,” asked Marianne who spends part of her summers on Peaks Island before returning to Boston. “People were up in arms about her effort to re-open under the circumstances.”

“It should have been banned years ago because it can’t be contained to the building.  It overflows into the street where families are eating ice cream,” she said.”

“…It is not family friendly and it ends up with police showing up.  They don’t follow through as these people return to their communities.  We are having a reprieve this year. I hope it is permanent,” said Carol ?, an artist, who is also a co-founder of GEM, an art gallery on Maine Island Avenue.

“There was a lot of controversy over the possible re-opening of ReggaeSunday. The locals were very upset because it had gotten out of control.  People are out of control anyway and with the COVID-19, it would have been another Florida disaster.  We don’t want another hotspot like Florida or Texas,” said Cailin Kelly, a long time employee at Downfront Ice Cream, a  favorite on Peaks Island.

In its prime years, Peaks Island was a major summer resort in the northeast.  It had summer theaters and an amusement park that attracted tourists from everywhere – prompting the name the “Coney Island of Maine” for this most populous Island in Casco Bay.

Cook was not available for comment according to Mike Sylvester, another  business owner in the area.  Sylvester, a State Representative, owns Mike’s Goff Carts.  He said that business is improving, although the pandemic has greatly impacted the summer tourist season. Sylvester was the only person renting his golf carts in order to assure the health and safety of other employees.

Note:  Unfortunately, mhn.com spilled water on the comments by Carol ? of the GEM and is unable to read her comments in their entirety as well as her last name.  My apologies!  If you want to provide that information, Carol, please do so!  I  spilled water from my water bottle on my notes in the return trip on the ferry!