The time zones, they may be a-changin'
By TREVOR MAXWELL, Portland Press Herald Writer
PROS and CONS
THE PROS ...
More afternoon daylight in winter
Reduced energy consumption
No more falling back and springing ahead
... AND THE CONS
Maine would be out of sync with other eastern states
Logistical headaches for travelers, commuters and visitors
Television programming complications.
Changing Maine's clocks from Eastern time to Atlantic time would be welcome in Sheila McFarlane's home in Houlton, where the sun wakes people early and, in the winter, vanishes long before the dinner hour.
But the idea isn't so popular at the Navy Yard Bar and Billiards in Kittery.
"That would be ridiculous," said the owner, Joe Sugden. Someone getting out of work in New Hampshire would lose an hour just driving across the bridge.
Maine lawmakers, having bounced the idea around for years, said Wednesday that voters should decide.
Members of the State and Local Government Committee unanimously endorsed a bill that, if approved by voters, would put Maine on Atlantic time along with Canada's Maritime Provinces.
The proposal would eliminate daylight-saving time, so the change would be noticeable for just five months of the year - from the end of October to the beginning of April. During that period, Maine would be an hour ahead of Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., for example. In the summer, Maine would be on the same schedule as its U.S. neighbors.
The bill now goes to the Senate and House. If it is approved, voters will decide in a November 2006 referendum. Final approval is required from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
"It would be like staying on daylight-saving time year round," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Kevin Glynn, D-South Portland.
Supporters say the bill can only help - from improving economic production to creating better moods in winter. Construction crews and other businesses could work later into fall and winter evenings. And Mainers would likely save on energy bills.
Opponents say the change would create a mess - confusing visitors and isolating Maine from the rest of the eastern seaboard.
"We in the Northeast are all accustomed to the same time zone, particularly between Portland and Boston," said Patricia Douglas, spokeswoman for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in Portland.
"I think the negatives would probably outweigh the positives," Douglas said. "Scheduling would be a nightmare."
On the plus side, Amtrak riders could leave Portland at 5:20 a.m. and arrive in Boston at 6:50 a.m., saving themselves an hour in the morning.
"They would feel like they took the bullet train," Douglas said.
Now the flip side: Leaving Boston at 6:15 p.m., that same traveler wouldn't get to Portland until 9:50 p.m.
"That would definitely have a significant impact on our ridership," said Douglas. About 700 people ride daily on Metroliner trains between the two cities.
Similar scheduling headaches could be expected for airlines and bus lines. The switch could cause major problems for trade and finance, critics said. It might take years for firms with offices in multiple states to get comfortable with the difference. Schools might have to change hours to match up with the later sunrise.
Supporters point to other time-zone borders where commerce thrives. Businesses in the Midwest and West routinely deal with time changes and their inherent snags. Indiana has several counties in the central zone, several in the eastern, and some towns that unofficially observe zones of their own choosing.
Television watchers in Maine would have to adjust, as prime time shows would start at 9 p.m. instead of 8. The late-night talk shows would start at 12:30 a.m.
Steve Thaxton, president and general manager of WCSH-TV in Portland, said he thinks it's a great idea. Morning programming already rules in Maine, he said, and the time shift would give stations another early slot.
"The upside, particularly for us, is much greater than the downside," said Thaxton.
Still, Thaxton isn't holding his breath. A shift in time zones requires tremendous political momentum, and he doesn't feel the bill has that kind of support.
Neither does Rep. Chris Barstow, D-Gorham, who chairs the committee that pushed the bill forward.
"I'm not completely sold on the idea," Barstow said. He likes the idea of energy savings and more daylight, but he's wary of separating Maine from the other New England states. Barstow has heard enough positive evidence, though, to give voters a choice.
"The fact that it is a referendum question makes it more feasible," he said.
In Houlton, Sheila McFarlane hopes the measure makes it to the public.
"For people on the border, it would make a lot more sense," she said. "We're only eight miles from Woodstock, New Brunswick, and we don't even have a dry cleaner in this town. You've got to organize your trip with the time change."
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