 Hello, welcome to CTN member highlights. I'm Roger Burley and I am on the wharf of Cliff Island, which is the most remote neighborhood of the city of Portland. We are going to be part of a ceremony that honors a beloved member of the Cliff Island community who is turning 80. His name is Chester Pettingill and he's done many things for our community. I'm very honored to be here today to read for Mr. Chester Pettingill, whereas the original settlers, whereas Chester has been a loyal employee of the Portland public school system for over 60 years and whereas he has been a lifeline delivering packages and mail to Cliff Islanders through hurricanes and blizzards, through snow, taxi driver and historian. Watches over everyone's homes, families and I, Belinda Ray, Nathan Kaye Strimling, and members of the City Council do hereby recognize Chester Pettingill for his commitment and dedication to the citizens of Portland and Cliff Island. Signed and sealed this 6th day of February 2016. I have this for you sir and I also have staff at Casco Bay Lines who are on a wonderful occasion as the city just has and here is your initials on it and it's an appreciation for a lifetime of service to Cliff Island, to all of Casco. And just for everything that you did, actually authenticity in the back right there Chester. Thank you sir. And this is a card. It's a card from our dear Chester. Happy birthday to you. Now I'm with Belinda Ray and Nick Mabadonis who are both City Councilors. We represent the islands. And Nick you represent the city as you have for how many years? 19 or so. So thank you for coming out for this. This was Chester's 6th birthday gathering. Do you do this for other people? You had occasions with Francis before. This is the first time I have done anything like this. I was only sworn in two months ago I think. So it's an incredible honor to be able to come out and pay tribute to someone who is so valued in this community who has clearly been a stalwart of the community. That process I wrote the boat out here this morning, the mail boat and have the opportunity to speak with a couple of different people who knew Chester. Some of them grew up here and one of them taught him to drive on a standard and she had some stories about that. It was just wonderful to hear the camaraderie and that wonderful small town quality that this island has where everybody comes out to honor someone on his 80th birthday. We are about 50 people here in the winter so it's a time to pull together and every little occasion that we have is another little piece of the fabric that we weave together to sustain our community, which is a challenge. But we're up to it and we're working on it. Nick, you've known Cliff Island. You've got a Diamond Island history of your own. What do you think about Cliff Island? Well, I think Cliff Island is an incredible place. We've got it on the ride out. It's an incredible place where you're out here in the wintertime and there's 50, although I remember when there were 60 or 65 living here year-round or where you're out here in the summer. It's really a gem in Casco Bay. So Chester is a pretty unique individual. I've had the good luck to know him for many years and when I was running boats and used to see him on a daily basis and I know how much he means to the island. I know how much the island means to him. So I think for the city and Casco Bay lines to get a chance to participate in the recognition that the islanders are holding today is something. And he asked about doing these type things. I mean, we over the years give keys to the city or read proclamations from time to time about people. There's no set of criteria that says that he gets a key to the city or doesn't. But I will tell you, I mean, have been mayor over the years. We don't give out that many keys to the city. There are a limited number of them that are out there. So to get one, it's pretty significant. And I think he has led that type of life and done the type of things out here on the island that meant so much to people to celebrate this grand birthday and participate in it. It's really something that fits when we give a key to the city. Oftentimes they're been given to presidents from other countries. People who are dignitaries worldwide. And Chester's a dignitary on Cliff Island and in Casco Bay and if he was known worldwide, he'd be a dignitary there as well. So I think it's great that the city can participate in this. But I will say that we wouldn't be able to participate if it wasn't for people who live on the island who let us know about these things. And so if we didn't know about it, we couldn't do it in the mayor. It would have been out here. His mother actually was flying in from the west coast and I think that otherwise he would have been joining us. But Cliff Island, I think it's always an opportunity to talk about islands and Cliff Island is one of them in that whether it's the work you've all done on keeping the school open, keeping the post office open, even if limited hours, keeping the store open, trying to build... Those are the three legs of the school out here. They really are. And without that, the viability of year-round islands is not solid at all. There's only 15 of us up and down the coast. I think anytime we get a chance to be on camera, we should always remind people of that. And the work that you're all doing on trying to make sure that housing on the island is affordable for year-round communities is something that's pretty significant. We are. Good stuff. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you for coming down. Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us. Thank you for that cake. Really good cake. Well, thank Chester for that, you know? Yeah. Happy birthday dear Chester. Being out in the center of the public attention is not your favorite thing, but what are you feeling like right now? Like a fish out of water. Fish out of water. But you are the reason we're all here. Just about the whole island has turned out. Well, thank you. And there's a reason for that because you are well-loved and well-appreciated and a cornerstone of the community. And your family goes back, what, 300? 200. 200 and some years. And owned half the island at one point. The whole island. The whole island at one point. What did you let the other half go for? So anyhow, you're the cause of all this and we're all happy that this has happened and we're all happy for you and we're looking forward to many more years with you. Thank you very much. Thank you. You got a mountain in your car. You're on your own, Bill. Yeah.