CITIZENS OF LISBON AND BOWDOIN WAKE UP!!!!!

 

Last Wednesday night, I attended HALF a meeting on the issue of the Lisbon Emergency situation.  However, upon arrival at 06:40 PM, I learned the meeting had already started.  It was on the town website as starting at 0700 PM.  I have no idea what time it really started but I missed a discussion on the Request for Procurement (RFP).  The last meeting was cancelled (without notice to the Public) because they had not received a response to the RFP.  I came to see what was in the RFP’s.  Apparently, I missed that whole discussion.  It would be nice if you could believe the town website.

 

I think I should catch everyone on up on what is going on with Lisbon Emergency.  Lisbon Emergency, Inc. is operating at a loss.  They are asking the taxpayer of Lisbon and Bowdoin to bail them out with additional funds.  Check out the chart below:

 

FY                    TOTAL CHARGES   LISBON SHARE   BOWDOIN SHARE
2018-2019     $162,152.78           $127,884.46        $34,267.92
2019-2020     $187,762.90           $149,172.84        $39,590.06
2020-2021     $251,354.03           $199,245.74        $52,108.29

 

This is to maintain the current level of service to our communities.

 

I have utilized Lisbon Emergency several times this year and the service I have received was outstanding.  The Emergency Medical Technician’s (EMT) were very professional and very efficiency.  There is no question Lisbon Emergency is a valuable asset to our communities.  Without their service, our communities would have to wait for ambulance service (United Ambulance Service) to come from Russell Street in Lewiston.  Utilizing United Ambulance Service would not cost the towns anything but there will certainly be a delay.   CAN WE AFFORD THE DELAY?

 

When I asked if Lisbon Emergency had looked into alternative solutions before these towns bail them out; I was immediately informed by Chairman Ward this is NOT a bailout.  I do not understand why this is not a bailout.  Lisbon Emergency is a private business, providing a service to these towns, and are asking the taxpayer to add additional funds to their revenue to operate.  HOW IS THIS NOT A BAILOUT?

 

This is a real tough situation because if the taxpayers do not come up with the additional funds; Lisbon Emergency will have to shut down and United Ambulance Service will have to provide citizens with emergency medical services.  This is a critical situation that directly affects the lives of every person in both communities.  Bowdoin has a town meeting in March and will vote on it.  However, Lisbon does not have a town meeting to decide these issues;  I believe because everyone in Lisbon is affected by this issue; it should be decided by a vote of the citizens and NOT left up to the Town Council.  This is just too important.

 

Think about where the money is going to come from?  The town of Lisbon is currently wasting over $200,000.00 by keeping the Communication Center open instead of using the Androscoggin County Dispatch center.  This was a political decision instead of a logical one.  CAN WE AFFORD TO SUPPORT BOTH?

 

Larry Fillmore

 

WHAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW!!!!!

 

This is an informational paper on our American flag that every patriot should know.  I will start with the colors; which are red, white and blue.

 

COLORS:

 

Red – Signifies valor and bravery.

White – Signifies purity and innocence.

Blue – Signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

 

STARS:

 

There are fifty stars representing each state in the union.  The stars are arranged by 5 rows of 6 and 4 rows of 5 totaling fifty. These stars are in a blue background.

 

BARS:

 

There are thirteen bars representing the original thirteen states.  They start with red and alternate with white.

 

MY VIEWS:

 

Starting with the Revolutionary War, American have lived and died defending the American flag.  Many American patriots have sacrificed everything so that others could live in peace.  Americans have been fighting all over the world to defend the American way of live. 

 

Freedom does not come cheap but the rewards for maintaining our democracy and republic are very gratifying.

 

Whenever, you see the American flag flown remember the many Americans who have sacrificed so much in the defense of this flag so that you can live in peace with all the freedoms you have.

 

God Bless America and God bless this nation.

 

 Larry Fillmore  

NOT A CLUE!!!!

On October 25, 2017, Dorothy Fitzgerald and myself arrived at the town Office to attend a meeting of the sub-committee on Emergency Medical Service in Lisbon announced by Councilor Norman Albert at the October 3, 2017 Town Council meeting.  I was greeted by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, who informed me the meeting was cancelled until the Request for Procurement (RFP) was received.  I asked Mrs. Barnes why there was no notification of the cancellation posted anywhere and was informed she notified the sub-committee members.  I asked why she did not notify the people of the cancellation.

 

According to Mrs. Barnes, she does not notify the people of sub-committee cancellations.  So Dottie and I wasted our time; thinking we were going to attend an EMS that was cancelled without notifying the people.  This I see as a problem that has a simple solution; so I contacted Chairman Allen Ward of the Town Council and offered the following solution:

 

“The town has a web site that has an "Event" calendar on it.  Every Chairman of ANY committee/sub-committee should be required to notify Diane of the schedule or cancellation of any meeting open to the Public.  One of the many purposes of the web site is to keep the people informed.

 

There is no real reason why the people are being held in the dark when the town is supposed to be transparent.

 

The town council needs to insists on transparency when it comes to the people.”

 

I did not receive a response from Chairman Allen Ward but did receive a response from the Town Manager, Diane Barnes in which she said:

 

“I did not post the meeting on our website therefore, there I did not post the cancellation.  I was the one that notified the committee members that the meeting was canceled.

 

To me, Mrs. Barnes response does not address the problem or the solution I offered.  This means that the people are not being kept informed on issues that concern them.  I call this a deliberate act of concealing meetings from the people; that shows a lack of transparency by the Town Manager.

 

However, tonight I noticed an EMS meeting scheduled on the Town Website for next Wednesday so maybe someone DID get the message.  We will have to wait and see how long this last.

 

Larry Fillmore

My Right to Support the Candidate of MY Choice

 

Some one is taking away my right to support the candidate of my choice.

 I support Scott Gaisson in his running for the Maine House of Representatives

He would work hard for the citizens of Lisbon and the State of Maine.

When I found that he was running I asked him if he would place one of his

political signs in on my property, which he or one of his supporters did.

 

A sign for Mr.. Gaisson's opponent, Rick Mason, was placed on my neighbor's property

weeks ago. I respect that my neighbor has a right to support a candidate

of his choice and place a sign on his property.

 

A little over a week ago someone removed Scott Gaisson's sign, from my property.
I found it in the middle of the road, in the School Street, Route 196 intersection,

badly damaged after being run over by numerous vehicles. 

I found the sign and put it again on the wire stand. A few days later Mr.. Gaisson

replaced the damaged sign with a new one.

Sometime  between Friday evening and Saturday morning Scott Gaisson's

sign was again stolen.

Not only was Scott Gaisson's sign missing, but a second one for his opponent

was placed on my neighbor's property.

 

I called the Lisbon Police Department and reported that a political sign was stolen,
not once but twice. The police office who responded suggested that the sign on my property

was taken by teenagers.

Kids who had a new sign to place on my neighbor's property at the same time. 

                Really??????????         This is improper politics at it's worst.   

 

Someone is taking away my right to support the candidate of my choice for the Maine 
House of Representative.

 

I am asking that whoever removed Scott's sign do the right thing and bring it back,

no questions asked.  

 

And no, I am not even suggesting that my neighbor removed the sign from my property. 
He and I have more respect for each other that that.

 TO TAKE DOWN, REMOVE, DAMAGE A POLITICAL SIGN IS AGAINST THE LAW

 

Respectfully,

Dot Fitzgerald

A Lisbon Concerned Citizen

L-A Rotary to Welcome Peter Kowalski November 2

Auburn - On Thursday, November 2, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Peter Kowalski, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Kowalski is the long-serving Executive Director of John F. Murphy Homes. Over nearly three decades he has worked with the board of directors, staff, stakeholders, and the surrounding communities to build an agency with the resources and expertise to be a premium provider of services to adults and children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Kowalski’s commitment to service and advancements in practices led to leadership roles with state and national organizations.  He served two terms as the president of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), a Washington, D.C.- based trade association with a membership of more than 800 agencies nationwide serving 385,000 people with disabilities.  At the state-level he served as the president of the ANCOR Maine, which merged with another organization to form the Maine Association of Community Service Providers. Kowalski is a member, and  past-president of the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary and on the board at The Public Theatre.  He graduated magnum cum laude from University of Maine with a B.A. in Psychology. He lives in Turner with his wife, Gail. Together they have two grown children and one grandchild. They enjoy hiking and camping, spending time every summer in and around Maine’s Baxter State Park. Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

L-A Rotary to Welcome Matt Leonard & Mark Cater November 9

Auburn - On Thursday, November 2, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Matt Leonard and Mark Cater, will be the featured guest speakers at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Leonard is the Founder & CEO of Military Talent Source, LLC. Military Talent Source is a specialized firm that conducts military recruiting and veteran employment consulting as a full focus; matching talent with opportunity. They provide a personalized service to both separating military service members and corporate clients in order to match talent to specific opportunities in the civilian corporate sector.   He is a retired United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer with 21 years of service and former president & CEO of one of Maine’s largest chambers of commerce. Matt has a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management from George Washington University as well as several undergraduate degrees. Mark Cater is a new Veteran Employment Consultant of Military Talent Source (MTS), LLC. MTS is a specialized firm conducting military recruiting and veteran employment consulting as a full focus; matching talent with opportunity. MTS provides a personalized service to both separating military service members and corporate clients in order to match talent to specific opportunities in the civilian corporate sector.  Cater’s experience includes affiliation with the  Local Veterans Employment Representative, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, the Maine Military Family Assistance Center, assisting military families of deployed service members and their families.  Cater spent 26 years serving his country, being stationed at FT. Carson; Berlin, Germany and the Maine Army National Guard as an Active Guard Reserve (AGR)    He retired as the State Recruiting Sergeant Major (SGM). Volunteer work includes serving as past President of the Augusta Area Military Association.  He continues as a member of the VFW and American Legion.  Cater holds a Master Level Human Resources Certificate; Bachelor of Science in Multi-Media Visual Communications; and an Associate Accreditation in Business. Cater is also a 2017 graduate of Dale Carnegie Maine “Skills for Success” Course.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

 

Monica M. Millhime

Lewiston  Auburn Rotary Club President

L-A Rotary to Welcome Victoria Stanton November 30

Auburn - On Thursday, November 30, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Victoria Stanton, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Stanton is the Director of Development and Engagement at Safe Voices, the domestic violence resource center based in Lewiston. In her role, Victoria helps corporate partners and community members connect to Safe Voices in meaningful ways, including awareness-raising events, volunteerism, sponsorship, and philanthropy. Prior to Safe Voices she worked as Chief Advancement Officer for the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston and was an advancement writer at Bates College. Victoria has been involved in anti-sexual assault and anti-domestic violence work for the last 11 years. She is a certified fundraising executive and received her bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She currently lives in Lewiston.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

 

Monica M. Millhime

L-A Rotary to Welcome James Parakilas

 

Auburn - On Thursday, November 16, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, James Parakilas will be the featured guest speakers at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Parakilas has recently retired as the James L. Moody, Jr. Family Professor of Performing Arts at Bates College, where he taught music for 37 years and where he served terms as chair of the Music Department and the Humanities Division.  He regularly gives classical piano performances in the community and beyond, and he has written several books on music, including a cultural history of the piano, Piano Roles: 300 Years of Life with the Piano (2000), and an undergraduate textbook on opera, The Story of Opera (2012).  In 2015 he joined the board of directors of L/A Arts; this past March he became chair of the board.   Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

 

Monica M. Millhime

Training Opportunities Provided by Collaboration of Organizations

 

Photo pictured (l-r):

Members of the Lewiston Construction Training Program celebrated with graduates of the second cohort.  Misty Parker, City of Lewiston; construction student graduates Emmanuel Musanganya and Christ Nikouzololo; Patti Saarinen, WMCA; back row:  Michael Pleau, Northeast Painting; Monica Millhime, WMCA; Tim Hebert, Hebert Construction; John Ferland, Hahnel Bros.; Brian Demshar, H. E. Callahan Construction and Sara Gagne-Homes, Gorham Foundation.  Photo courtesy of Jennifer Tiner, Lewiston Adult Education.

 

Lewiston – Tree Street Youth Center hosted a graduation ceremony on August 22 for two local students who successfully completed a construction training

WorkReady and Work Experience program.   Emmanuel Musanganya and Christ Nilouzololo participated in the second Lewiston Construction Training Project completing a 12 week program consisting of 160 hours of classroom time, and a work experience with local contractors.  The program was designed through the collaboration of local and regional agencies of Lewiston Adult Education, Western Maine Community Action (WMCA), Lewiston CareerCenter, John T. Gorman Foundation, City of Lewiston, Tree Street, Root Cellar and the Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services.  Area contractors, H. E. Callahan, Hahnel Bros., Hebert, Northeast Painting and Fortin joined the partnership providing hands-on construction site work experiences.  The program initiative was designed to provide training and skills necessary for entry-level career paths in construction.  Training included safety, an introduction to power and hand tools, construction math and terminology along with work readiness skills.  Candidates earned a WorkReady, OSHA 10, Lead, Scissor Lift Training, and a Renovation, Repair, Painting (RRP) certifications.  “These graduates represent dedication and are the result of a best practice model for train-to-work.  Such a model brings business, education, and workforce development agencies in collaboration to provide training for a high wage, high growth career path,” shares Patti Saarinen, WMCA-Lewiston CareerCenter Site Coordinator.  FMI on work-driven educational opportunities and partnerships, contact the nearest CareerCenter or call 753.9040. 

 

 

One Stop Operator Status Awarded to Western Maine Community Action

Photo caption:  Steven Johndro, Executive Director of Western Maine Community Action (left) and James Trundy, Program Manager, met to review the specifications of work to be performed as the new One-Stop Operator for the Central/Western Maine Workforce Development Board.  Photo courtesy of Katherine Lary, WIC Program Manager.
Lewiston – Jeff Sneddon, Executive Director of the Central/Western Maine Workforce Development Board has announced the One-Stop Operator (OSO) for services in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford and Somerset counties has been awarded to Western Maine Community Action.  The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) calls for an integrated service delivery system requiring local area coordination of services for grants and sector-partnership programs.  One of the primary goals of WIOA is to provide customers with access to high-quality one-stops that are customer-centered and provide access to a full range of partner services including adults, dislocated workers, Veterans, Job Corps, employment services, Vocational Services, Senior Community Services, career and technical education programs, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and employment and training programs.  The one-stop operator is integral in the coordination of WIOA core and required partners  for the delivery of their services on behalf of shared customers.  In addition to the five county coverage, the Central Western Maine One-Stop delivery provides services in four full-service CareerCenters located in Lewiston, Augusta, Skowhegan and Wilton and two satellites in South Paris and Rumford.
John Ferland, Vice-President, General Manager of Hahnel Bros. shares, “Hahnel Bros. is proud to be one of the first companies to partner with WMCA, the Lewiston CareerCenter, and other community partners, in a construction training program to teach people entry-level construction skills along with work preparedness and safety.  The first round of this project brought us three new employees.  The staff from WMCA helped us navigate the various government funding systems that enabled us to learn about the trainees and reduce our initial new hire costs through on-the-job-training.  They took time to learn our concerns and provided assistance customized to meet our challenges.  Their understanding of the various services available through the CareerCenters and ability to make those services accessible make them a valuable asset to companies such as ours.   We look forward to our continued relationship in putting people to work.” 
 The over-arching goal of the One-Stop operator is to ensure the coordination of services among the WIOA core and required partners so that applicable career services are available to system customers, regardless of whose door they enter.  WMCA has operated job training programs in the tri-county area since 1981 and managed training contracts in the five county area for the past three years.  Their work has afforded them the opportunity to form strong partnerships with One Stop partners as well as the business community.   
FMI contact WMCA Executive Director, Steve Johndro, 860.4474, sjohndro@wmca.org or Program Manager, James Trundy, 743.7763, jtrundy@wmca.org or visit https://wmca.org/.

L-A Rotary to Welcome Betsy Sibley October 12

Auburn - On Thursday, October 12, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Betsy Sibley, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Sibley is the Vice President of Marketing/ Business Development at Community Credit Union. She has been with the Credit Union for 5 years. She oversees the sales, marketing, advertising, community outreach, internal staff training and event planning for the Credit Union.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from Thomas College, has been a licensed insurance agent since 2002 and has been working in the financial industry in various capacities since that time. Sibley is involved in the community serving as the Public Relations Committee Chair for the L-A Rotary Club, Secretary for the Turner Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club, the President of the Turner Parent Teacher Committee, Member of the Statewide Awareness Committee for the Maine Credit Union League as well as an Ambassador and Committee Member for the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce. Sibley has a passion for youth sports and volunteers as a coach for the Turner Athletic Association also.  Some achievements include earning the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor in 2008, being recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary in 2015 and being a 2015 graduate of the Androscoggin Leadership Development Institute.  Betsy was recently nominated in the “Creative Genius” category for Uplift LA’s 40 under 40.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

 

L-A Rotary to Welcome Roger Theriault October 5

 

Auburn - On Thursday, October 5, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Roger Theriault, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club.  Theriault was born in Lewiston.  He graduated from St. Dominic’s Regional High School in 1970. He attended the University of Maine, graduating in 1975 with his Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. In 1975 married his wife, Lorraine, and raised four children and now enjoying eight grandchildren.  In addition to teaching, Theriault owned an automotive business, and owned/operated the Civic Center. Following the sale of the Civic Center, and retired from teaching, Theriault began working for The Fortin Group. He graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, and recently completed his apprenticeship and became a Licensed Funeral Director. Theriault is active in area hockey,  a member of the Knights of Columbus, attends Prince of Peace Parish, and enjoys golf, travel, and wine. He was recently inducted into the St. Dominic’s High School Hall of Fame for his athletic and academic achievements.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

L-A Rotary to Welcome Dr. Tara Coste October 19

Auburn - On Thursday, October 19, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Dr. Tara Coste, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Dr. Coste is a Leadership and Organizational Studies professor at the University of Southern Maine and teaches courses in communication, group dynamics, and research methods, among others. Her research focusses on deliberate creativity and innovation in multicultural, multinational environments, with a particular emphasis on work in larger corporate enterprises and communities in Africa and Asia.  Most recently, she is concentrating her attention on how ancestral belief systems drive modern behavior and The Montagu Project, the development of a multi-decade global leadership lab in South Africa. This work aims to refine the training processes that enhance creativity in teams and to provide professionals tools that will allow them to enhance their global leadership abilities. She has published numerous articles and presented her work at venues around the world. She is a Colleague of the Creative Education Foundation, a Visiting Scholar at Singapore Management University’s Wee Kim Wee Centre for Cultural Studies, and Past-President of the American Creativity Association.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

L-A Rotary to Welcome Marcel Gagne October 26

Auburn - On Thursday, October 26, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 165 High Street, Auburn, Marcel Gagne, will be the featured guest speaker at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club. Gagne is a Business Ownership Conversion Specialist with the Cooperative Development Institute, a New England non-profit.  CDI assists and supports a Cooperative Economy with locally grown food, affordable housing/ownership, and business ownership solutions to existing businesses into co-ops through employee and community buy-outs. Business Ownership Services can assist with succession planning strategies, and/or business expansion solutions. CDI can also help with financial, feasibility, market, and business planning. He also has an extensive background in workforce development and worked in community & economic development for a decade with a nationally known organization, CEI. He has a training background in customer service, interviewing skills, supervisory implementation & coaching, as well as being a qualified Myers-Brigs’ Type Indicator facilitator. He also has a certification as a Continuous Improvement Practitioner through Bend the Curve. He is heavily involved in the Institute for Continuous Improvement (ICI) at the Univ. of So. Maine Lewiston/Auburn College and is serving as a technical advisor in an undergraduate Certificate Program on LEAN & Process Improvement.  Reservations are not required at the luncheon.  FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.  Events and other club information are posted at www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/.

INCOMPETENCE IN GOVERNMENT – PART 3

 

This all started when the Town Manager, Diane Barnes’, with the help of Lydia Colston, Finance Director, conned the Town Council into amending the Fund Balance Policy on March 7, 2017.  This reduced the requirement to maintain an Unassigned Fund Balance on hand from $2.85 million to $1.74 million.  This freed up approximately $1.11 million of our tax dollars.

 

This left Mrs. Barnes and the Town Council with a problem of what to do with our tax dollars.  It did not take them long to decide to spend these dollars on things like replacing two new cruisers; upgrade the unnecessary communication center; purchase a wheeler; a paint spreader; a new trailer and a salt shed just to name a few items.  All of these items are going to add to the amount of money it takes to operate this town.  You do realize the tax dollars are determined by the amount of money it takes to operate the town.  With these additions our taxes will continue to rise to cover these costs.  However, the purchase will be made by the Unassigned Fund Balance for this year but on the years out taxpayers will have to cover the maintenance and operating cost with more tax dollars.

 

Here is a concept that Mrs. Barnes and at least four of the Town Council do not want to hear.  Since these funds are our tax dollars, why not use them to reduce the current operating cost of the town and reduce our taxes for a change.  Can anyone remember a year when our taxes did not go up?  It certainly has been a while.  We know that Councilors Ward, Brunelle, Crafts and Albert are not interested in reducing the operating cost of the town because they had a chance to save the taxpayers $200,000.00 this year by closing the communication center and did not.  Saving taxpayer money is a concept these individuals cannot handle.  This is our tax dollars so why not use it where it will help the taxpayers the most.

 

Reducing the operating cost would reduce the requirement for more tax dollars. Mrs. Barnes and these members of the Town Council cannot figure out; that you have to reduce spending to reduce the operating cost of the town.  Their answer to everything is to spend, spend spend.

 

YOU JUST CANNOT FIX STUPID!!!!

 

Larry Fillmore

INCOMPETENCE IN GOVERNMENT – PART 2

For years now, I have been telling the community that E. Ryan Leighton has no credentials but receiving a very large salary.  It is amazing that the Town Manager, Mrs. Barnes, has not assisted Mr. Leighton in obtaining the necessary training.  Everyone, including the Town Council, has let Mr. Leighton slide on everything.

This goes back to when he was impersonating an Engineer.  The state had to step in and tell the town that he was not a qualified Licensed Professional Engineer.  Then there was the Environmental Protection Agency fining the town for several problems and one of these was the sewer department did not have Standard Operating Procedures.  This is a basic action all professionals know to do when taking over a new job.

If you have ever watched a Town Council meeting, you should have noticed that almost every time Mr. Leighton presents anything there are more items unknown than known.  However, the Town Council allows him to slide almost every time.  You would think that someone would try and educate Mr. Leighton so it would improve the quality of the process.  Look and see how Request for Procurements (RFP) is processed without controversy. 

If the town is going to keep employing Mr. Leighton, it is only fair that he receive training.  It is Mrs. Barnes’ responsibility to ensure your town employees are qualified to perform their duties.  She has been allowing this shoddy work to continue without getting Mr. Leighton assistance.

If you doubt anything I am saying go to the Town Council video for April 11, 2017 and start a 2 hours and 31 minutes and listen to the dialog pertaining to the Salt Shed.  Play close attention to how many questions Mr. Leighton cannot answer without the help of the Town Council.  He is asking for $250,000.00 based on a guess because Lewiston salt shed cost $200,000.00 several years ago.  I am sure that we do not use as much salt as Lewiston; so our requirements would be different. Also, try to find out where Mr. Leighton plans on locating it; the size, or even the size of the current salt shed.  There are so many unknowns so how can anyone make a sound decision.  The video is 3 hours and 12 minutes and the Council has more unanswered questions then answered. 

Shouldn’t we expect a Department Head to know everything about an item when they are presenting them?

Larry Fillmore 

 

INCOMPETENCE IN GOVERNMENT – PART 1

It is amazing that the Town Manager and the Town Council are working extremely hard to increase the operating cost of the town.  This is why our taxes continue to go up. 

The Town Manager and the four members (Ward, Brunelle, Crafts and Albert) of the Town Council refuse to try and lower the operating cost of the town.  These individuals are devising ways to increase spending instead of looking for ways to lower our taxes. 

There are so many example of this it is not funny.  The first example is the Lisbon Communication Center.  These people had a chance to save every year approximately $200,000.00 tax dollars a YEAR and did not.  Another example is we have a Department Head who has NO credentials.  He also has NO managerial skills or common sense.  I am talking about E. Ryan Leighton our Public Works Director and Superintendent of Sewer.

There are so many examples of how very incompetent he truly is but I will so in a three part explanation. The first one is his excessive spending and how the taxpayers are force to pay for his lack training. 

Remember when he had to have a 4-ton Asphalt Reclaimer (Hot Box).  So the taxpayers purchased the equipment so that the town could improve our roads.  How is that worked out for us?  Our roads are a total disaster including the access way at the Public Works Garage.  I do not remember having these kinds of problems when Button Beale was in charge of Public Works.

Another example is the chipper we purchased.  During the last Town Council meeting the Town Council voted to approve a contract for an outside company to come in and do the trimming and chipping.  The reason give is the volume was too much for Public Works to do and Public Works did not have the manpower to do it themselves.  Why did we purchase it if we did not have the manpower?  The same as the “Hot Box” required a Class A license and Public Works does not have enough Class A licensed individuals to operate the Hot Box”. 

These are just two pieces of equipment sitting in the Public Works garage area the taxpayers purchased that are not being utilized as needed because Mr. Leighton has no managerial skills.

Also, since the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, arrived she has been covering for him.  She encourages him to purchase more equipment and supports him with the Council.  Mrs. Barnes has absolutely no desire to make Mr. Leighton get training or stop him from wasting our tax dollars.

Larry Fillmore   

Laura Keller to Address L-A Rotary May 4

 

Lewiston - On Thursday, May 4, at the Ramada Inn, Lewiston, Laura Keller, will be the featured guest speaker at the LA Rotary from noon to 1 p.m.  Keller joined Nestle Waters North America (NWNA) in February 2015. Keller moved to Maine in March 2010 from Wilmington, Delaware and quickly found that Maine is her “true home”. In 2014 Keller was recruited to join the NWNA Poland Spring Factory as the Human Resource Manager. She supports the Poland and Kingfield Plant Locations, which also includes Natural Resources and the Northeast Logistic Department. Prior to her joining NWNA, Keller was the Regional HR Manager for the East Division for TruGreen. She had been with the company supporting the operations from Maine through Virginia. Laura was instrumental in strategic planning of the operations, inclusive of executing and developing mentoring programs to assist in development of talent internally. She was the Business Partner supporting two Divisional VPs, and 4 Regional VPs. Prior to TruGreen Lawncare, Keller had worked for several “Big Box” retail chains including Target, Sports Authority and Office Depot as a Regional HR Manager in the Mid-Atlantic, and East Coast. She has a proven record to achieve results through human capital. She is known for her ability to identify gaps in recruitment, training, and retention in organizations and work with senior leadership to build strong plans on closing those gaps. Laura has a BS from Pennsylvania State University in Labor and Industrial Relations. She holds a SPHR and SHRM-SCP certification, and is a member of both SHRM and HRASM.  Reservations are not required to attend the Rotary meeting.  Lunch is available for $10 in the Fusion Restaurant at the Ramada, 490 Pleasant Street, Lewiston.   FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President-Elect and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.

 

 

L-A Rotary Club Officers Attend Conference in Quebec

 

 

Lewiston – Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club Program Chair and 100^th Anniversary Committee co-chair, Monica Millhime (pictured left), and Secretary, Morgan Thorndike, represented L-A Rotary at a President-Elect Training Conference in St. Georges-de-Beauce, Quebec.  The three-day event addressed goals for Rotary International in 2017-2018.  Workshops included procedures and recommendations for global and district grant applications, recruitment, engagement, membership retention, budgeting, community service projects and more.  L-A Rotary’s President-Elect, Millhime, an Employment and Training Business Specialist for Western Maine Community Action at the Lewiston CareerCenter, will representing L-A Rotary Club by attending the District 7790 May Conference in Saguenay, Quebec.   Thorndike is the Finance Manager- Maine Campuses at Kaplan University.  L-A Rotary meets Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Lewiston.  FMI on programs and community partnerships email mmillhime@wmca.org or call 753.9040. Visit at https://www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/ or http://www.lewistonauburnrotary.org