This week’s edition!
Archive for July 2017
Governor’s Address: Maine products add to economy, provide good jobs
Maine-made products are known for quality.
Dear Maine Taxpayer,
We have hundreds of products made in Maine, and our economy benefits greatly from Maine ingenuity.
Our Maine farmers are the stewards of 1.25 million acres, and the industry has a $1.2 billion impact on the state’s economy.
Maine’s commercially harvested marine resources topped $700 million in overall value in 2016, and that reflects yet another all-time high and an increase of nearly $100 million in value over 2015.
Mainers should take great pride in the success of all of our industries. Farming, fishing and logging are three of our most successful industries. Through the years, the hard-working men and women have established Maine as a leader in the responsible management of our land.
Enough is Enough: Lewiston wins as effort to de-list “nip” liquor bottles fails
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
Phew! The worm has turned. The City of Lewiston won. It’s a win that provides the city with another step forward, not backward, in our pursuit of continuing economic development.
Last Tuesday, Lewiston’s Economic Development Director Lincoln Jeffers and I traveled to Augusta to testify before the Maine Alcoholic Beverage/Lottery Commission. The hearing was held to determine whether to ban 50mL bottles, commonly referred to as “nips,” or not. A ban would have had a major impact economically on Lewiston.
Sazerac liquors is a good-sized bottling plant in Lewiston’s Industrial Park. Presently, it employs about 130 full- and part-time employees. They operate five production lines, two during the day, two at night and one line overnight. The company pays $166,000 in city taxes. They are also looking toward a $1 million expansion which would allow current part-time workers the opportunity of full-time employment. It would also expand its city tax base.
Museum L-A exhibit prompts fresh new look at old local mill buildings
“Lower Bates Canal,” by Janice L. Moore
Museum L-A’s latest exhibit, “Structures & Patterns: The Remnants of Our Work,” seeks to provoke viewers to consider the historic mill buildings of Lewiston-Auburn from a fresh new perspective. The exhibit features industrial landscape paintings by artist Janice L. Moore and works by photographer Mark Marchesi, juxtaposed with authentic mill artifacts and archival photographs from the museum’s collection.
The goal of the exhibit is to foster an examination of how Maine’s communities, specifically the historic City of Lewiston, view and relate to their industrial mills. Organizers hope to evoke a sense of reverence for the mill buildings, befitting their outsized roles in the histories and potential futures of their communities.
Dempsey Center and So. Portland’s Cancer Community Center announce intent to merge
The boards of directors of Lewiston’s Dempsey Center and South Portland’s Cancer Community Center, both well-respected for delivering cancer quality of life services in Maine, have unanimously agreed to develop a merger agreement? over the next several months. The newly merged entity will be independent of Central Maine Healthcare, a founding partner, and will operate under the name the Dempsey Centers, reflecting the organization’s expanded scale and mission.
The merger remains subject to ongoing due diligence, the negotiation of a merger agreement, and final approval of the boards of directors of both organizations, but it is anticipated that the newly merged organization will begin operating by early 2018.
The Dempsey Center currently operates as part of CMH, but intends to become wholly independent from the health system prior to the anticipated merger with Cancer Community Center. The decision to become independent was driven by growth opportunities which, in the face of growing demand for cancer care services in Maine, will allow the Dempsey Center to expand its mission by opening access to more philanthropic support and grant opportunities.
Wildlife Park presents Chainsaw Art Showcase
Three professional carver-artists will demonstrate this impressive process.
The Maine Wildlife Park on Route 26 in Gray will present its popular annual Chainsaw Wildlife Art Showcase on Saturday, July 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At that time, three professional chainsaw carver-artists will be on hand to demonstrate the impressive creative process of carving detailed and life-like wildlife sculptures using a chainsaw.
Open Farm Day at Shaker Village
Free tractor-drawn wagon rides for all ages will offer unique views of one of Maine’s oldest farms, operating under the same management since 1783.
Shaker Village will participate in the statewide “Maine Open Farm Day” on Sunday, July 23 with free special events for the whole family from noon to 4 p.m. See Scottish highland cattle, a flock of more than 40 sheep, bees, barn cats, apple orchards, herb and vegetable gardens at one of the oldest farms in Maine. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village has been operating under the same management since 1783.
Op-Ed: Lewiston-Auburn merger will result in higher, not lower, taxes
By Jim Howaniec
We live in a world of immediate gratification, over-simplification and quick fixes. Thus it comes as no surprise that some believe a “merger” of Lewiston and Auburn is a “game changing” answer to the problems that afflict us.
If we merely merge, the argument goes, Lewiston and Auburn will become an economic “powerhouse.”
In municipal government, like most things in life, there are no quick fixes. An analysis of actual facts—rather than mere wishful thinking—leads to a disturbing conclusion: city mergers not only do not save money, the resulting bigger governments actually end up costing taxpayers much more in the end. Higher taxes, obviously, are bad for economic development.
Governor’s Address: Saving lives is more important than saving money
As your Governor, I will do everything within my authority to prevent deadly drugs from killing Mainers.
Dear Maine Taxpayer,
Recently, I informed the Federal Highway Administration that Maine will follow federal law and suspend driver’s licenses from those who are convicted of a drug-related offense.
Some legislators, including Democrat Speaker of the House Sara Gideon, disagreed with me. But I am adamant we must do more to deter the influx of out-of-state drug-trafficking into Maine.
The Legislature could have conformed to this federal law during the past session, but they chose to ignore it—even after I advised them that we would lose nearly $13 million in federal funding.
By ignoring this issue, the Legislature has neglected the health and safety of Mainers across our state who are affected by the wrath of drug addiction and abuse.
Enough is Enough: L-A could become a political powerhouse in Maine
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
“And this is good old Boston, the home of the bean and the cod. Where the Lowells talk to the Cabots and the Cabots talk only to God.” Thus spoke John Collins Bossidy at a Holy Cross Alumni Dinner in 1910.
This quatrain is an amusing poke at the blue-bloods of Boston commonly referred to as “Boston Brahmins.” These were the descendants of the English Protestants who left England throughout the 1600s aboard such ships as the Mayflower and Arabella to settle in America. They included family names such as Lodge, Cabot, Lowell, Adams, Quincy, Winthrop, Forbes and Saltonstall.
Bird club offers “Thorncrag Nature Days”
Penny Jessup introduces a group of children to the creatures found at Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston.
The Stanton Bird Club will offer “Thorncrag Nature Days” for children ages 6 to 12 from July 24 through 28. Sessions will run from 9 a.m. to noon and will consist of nature activities and crafts exploring a different theme each day. Themes will include “Step into the Wild: Nature Exploration,” “Creatures and Critters,” and “A Bird’s-Eye View.” The program will consist of two classes, limited to 15 students in each. Registration is $25 per child and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited scholarships are available. For more information or to receive registration forms, contact Penny Jessop at 782-5467 or see www.stantonbirdclub.org.
