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CMP honors island team on Lineworker Appreciation Day

Central Maine Power has a team that serves nine islands off Portland in Casco Bay.

LONG ISLAND, Maine — Central Maine Power honored one of its hardest-working teams that serves people with limited access to supplies when the power goes out on Lineworker Appreciation Day.

Lenny Bickford is part of a three-person team that serves people on Maine's Casco Bay islands. The team is on call 24/7 to help people on nine islands when they lose power. 

Many people on the islands have limited access to groceries, gas, and other necessities when storms knock out power. They rely on generators or wood to heat their homes if a winter storm takes out the electricity.

Having a dedicated team for the islands allows that power to get back on faster, Bickford said.

"We take care of our friends and neighbors. We feel very dedicated to them. And they take very good care of us too."

Census data estimates about 282 people live on Long Island, with another 1,000 full-time residents on nearby Peaks Island. A CMP spokesperson estimated roughly 1,700 people live on islands in Casco Bay.

Karen Tucker, a lifelong, full-time resident of Great Diamond Island, said the population has doubled since the pandemic began. She calls island life "forced simplicity" and said having a dedicated team of line workers who do not need to rely on the ferries to get to the islands makes her feel more secure.

"It makes living out here better and easier. Already I have so many contingencies. If I had to wonder if they'd be here in a week, it'd be worse. So I feel peace of mind," Tucker said.

   

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