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Silenced Fire Horn Sets off Honking Protest in Millinocket

Nick Woodward
/
MPBN
Millinocket residents honk their car horns Wednesday night to protest the decision to silence the town's fire horn.

MILLINOCKET, Maine - In Millinocket last night - for the third night in a row - a group of residents angry over the silencing of the town's fire horn flouted noise ordinances by honking their car horns in protest.

For decades, Millinocket's fire horn has sounded twice a day, providing messages about school closures, fires and other events to the town via a sort of code, says protest co-organizer Dawn Boyington. "There was one complaint brought to the town manager and he decided that was enough to shut it down, without concern to any of us."

Boyington says the horn represents a tradition that residents feel strongly about. According to resident and protestor Dick Labby, the gathering had grown to about 300 people by 9 p.m., and police were threatening to start arresting protestors for violating the city noise ordinance.

The town has not responded to requests for an interview or issued an official statement yet, but the matter is likely to be raised at the town's next meeting on the Aug. 27.