Texas billionaire apologizes for Maine traffic jam(This guy is a real Butt)

Houston Chronicle ^ | 6/24/03 | AP

[Diddle E. Squat]

BANGOR, Maine - A Texas billionaire plans to run ads in four area newspapers apologizing for a 10-hour traffic jam that stranded thousands of motorists along the only highway to and from Mount Desert Island.

"This has truly been a massive mess," supermarket magnate Charles Butt told the Bangor Daily News today from his San Antonio office, where he runs the H.(airy) E.(lephant) Butt Grocery Co. "I'm embarrassed by it and very sorry."

Traffic was snarled Thursday along U.S. 1A and Route 3 as local contractors hauled a 50-year-old apple tree from Ellsworth to Butt's waterfront estate in Northeast Harbor.

The tree, which measured 30 feet by 20 feet, took up both sides of the two-lane road. Telephone, electrical and cable TV crews had to ride ahead and lift wires so the tree could pass under. The contractors hired a police escort, but there was no police traffic control or even a warning to the public about when and how long the tree transport would take.

The tree was so wide that even the shoulder of the road was blocked.

Crews stopped whenever there was room to pull over enough to let cars pass, but those chances were rare, according to contractor Steven O'Halloran of Ellsworth.

O'Halloran, owner of O'Halloran Machinery Transport, said last week he was pleased that the transport was done without any injuries and faster than he expected. He thought it might take up to two days to get the tree to Northeast Harbor.

O'Halloran said Monday he also will sign the open letter of apology that is scheduled to appear in local weekly newspapers on Thursday, in addition to the Bangor Daily News.

"No one intended to harm anyone," the hauler said. "No one woke up in the morning and said, 'Let's cause eastern Maine some aggravation.'"

Butt, who has earned a reputation in Texas for his philanthropy, seemed most upset that people would think him inconsiderate or disrespectful to others. He said Monday he had no idea that moving the tree would disrupt so many people's schedules, responsibilities and plans for the day.

"We felt badly about it. All the people involved," Butt said. "I contracted to have the tree moved. It was not identified to me that it was going to cause any problems, so this whole thing came as an enormous surprise."

Considering the problems it did cause, he said, "we thought it would be the right thing to do" to apologize publicly.

Bianca Cooke of Trenton, who lost four hours of pay after spending five hours in traffic trying to get to work at Somesville One Stop last Thursday, was not overly impressed when she heard that Butt was going to run newspaper ads to apologize.

"He has to think about the people around him and how he's affecting them," she said.

[Diddle E. Squat]

He is sure to be the Butt of jokes up there in Maine...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Would this be a Hold My Butt Alert?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Maybe the townsfolk can mail this guy a package of apple seeds...

[DallasMike]

During the depression, my grandfather used to run fruit from the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio in a little panel truck with the founder of the chain, Mr. H.E. Butt. Looks like they've come a long way.

[Coop]

The guy sounds like a class act to me. You can bet he had no involvement in the details, other than to say move this tree from here to there. Yet he's publicly apologizing for the impact it had on others. Two thumps up!

[4mycountry]

Once I was on the road and came to an intersection. On the other side was a truck that belonged to a business. The name was priceless:

Woody Butts.

[nothingnew]

I agree. Being in traffic control, the blame lies with the movers, and local bureaurats. The guy contracted it out. It's up to all the others involved. Believe me, I know of what I speak.

FMCDH

[deport]

A lot of the stores are smaller in size, 25,000 sqft with no frills.... open ceilings, duct work exposed, no fance store shelves/stocking arrangements, etc. He does have a few super size stores, 75,000 sqft or so that are nice. These include sections, like bakeries, cheese dept with over 600 selections, 400+ different beers, meat/seafood galore, etc. The prices go with the merchandize in these also.

[steveo]

Two thumps up!

In this case I think a simple kudos would have been better.

[RLJVet]

HEB certainly is a good supermarket with good management practices from this consumer's point of view.One of the best things about living in SA.

[theDentist]

WHat, the trees near his home aren't good enough for him? What a dolt.

[stainlessbanner]

I know his little brother, Seymour Butts.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Oh, HEB is a great company with a good family leading it. The title is just a play on words.

[Conservomax]

Someone should sneak in there chop it down.

[mhking]

supermarket magnate Charles Butt told the Bangor Daily News today from his San Antonio office, where he runs the H.(airy) E.(lephant) Butt Grocery Co.

Nawwww....this has got to be from The Onion...

[strela]

20-20 hindsight here, but he should have hired a heavy-lift helicopter to move the thing. I'm sure he will next time he does something like this.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Rumor has it that Seymour will announce that he is gay, i.e. Butt out.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Someone should sneak in there chop it down.

George Washington is dead.

[Freebird Forever]

HEB certainly is a good supermarket with good management practices from this consumer's point of view.

Decent quality, competitive prices & occasionally a hot checkout girl.

Works for me.

[Fawnn]

The guy sounds like a class act to me. You can bet he had no involvement in the details, other than to say move this tree from here to there. Yet he's publicly apologizing for the impact it had on others. Two thumps up!

I agree!

The devil is in the details, and in this case, it looks to me like the blame lies with those Maine officials who issued the tree-moving permits without putting effective traffic-routing plans into place when they did so. Imo, the apology proves that this is a case of clueless bureaucrats, not of a crass, uncaring billionaire.