#2016-PBP-Elections-Municipal

21 communities favor borrowing $25 million for the new Rockland facility
Voters support new Midcoast School of Technology School construction
Wed, 11/09/2016 - 11:00am

With overwhelming support, voters in 21 Region 8 communities voted to borrow $25 million to construct a new Midcoast School of Technology facility on the school’s existing Rockland site. The final tally was 19,824 to 7,824, with all towns in favor of the measure. The referendum read: “Shall the Cooperative Board of the Region 8 Mid-Coast School of Technology (“Region 8”) be authorized to issue bonds or notes in the name of Region 8 for a school construction project in an amount not to exceed $...
Elections 2016
Rosey Gerry wins Lincolnville Selectmen’s seat by 42 votes
Wed, 11/09/2016 - 2:00am

LINCOLNVILLE - The race for the remainder of Lincolnville Selectman Cathy Hardy’s vacated seat on the Board of Selectmen came down to two of the three candidates on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 8, with Rosendel “Rosey” Gerry garnering the most votes (634) against Josh Gerritsen (592). The third candidate, Gina Sawyer, earned 173 votes on the ticket, and three write-in candidates, Joshua Treat, Debbie Fullington and Doris Weed, received one vote each. Gerry, a former selectmen, said during his...
Mid-Coast Solid Waste issue decided
Camden, Hope, Lincolnville, Rockport to contract with ecomaine for solid waste disposal
Wed, 11/09/2016 - 12:00am

The decision has been made to go with ecomaine for the disposal of trash from Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation, according to the voters in Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport, the four towns that currently process, recycle, bury and transport from their trash. The disposal of trash, which currently is trucked to the Penobscot Energy Recovery Corp. incinerator in Orrington, has occupied the nonprofit that governs Mid-Coast Solid Waste and town leaders as the deadline for closing out on the...
Favors Clinton, most state initiatives
Camden approves noise ordinance, outdoor boat storage ordinance, goes with ecomaine
Tue, 11/08/2016 - 11:30pm

Camden voters turned out in full force Nov. 8 and gave sweeping approval for Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, signing a trash contract with ecomaine, approving noise limitations and a minimum wage hike, as well as building a new $25 million Midcoast School of Technology facility on the school’s existing Rockland site. Camden’s results are as follows: President: Hillary Clinton, 2,430 Gary Johnson, 80 Jill Stein, 60 Donald Trump, 802 Rep. to Congress: Mark Holbrook, 803 Chellie...
Elections 2016
Palermo voters narrowly approve Shoreland Zoning Ordinance
Tue, 11/08/2016 - 10:45pm
PALERMO — By a vote of 410 to 407, the town of Palermo passed its 2016 Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. The Ordinance applies to all land areas within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water line of great ponds; within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water line of rivers; within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the upland edge of a freshwater wetland; and within 75 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water line of a stream. This Ordinance also applies to...
approves many measures
By nine votes, Rockport says no to building a new library in Rockport Village; approves ordinance amendments
Tue, 11/08/2016 - 9:30pm

By just nine votes, Rockport voters defeated a measure to spending $2 million on a new $4 million library ($2 million was to be raised privately), approved a road acceptance ordinance amendment so that Hawthorne Drive will convert from private to public purview; eliminated what some say is an outdated and cumbersome sidewalk ordinance; and signed a contract with the Southern Maine-based ecomaine for disposal of solid waste. They voted no by just a hair to legalizing marijuana, and approved gun...
Record number of voters, three ballots brought 75-minute wait to cast ballot...
Slow, finicky machine prompts Lincolnville to employ ballot collection ‘tote’ to speed voting Tuesday
Tue, 11/08/2016 - 7:30pm

LINCOLNVILLE — Obtaining a ballot and an empty curtained booth in which to fill in the circles beside one's choices was a quick process for voters in Lincolnville throughout the day, but up until about 1 p.m., the wait time to deposit the three ballots into the tabulating machine took more than an hour. And that was 60-75 minutes of standing with as many as 100 other voters in the Lincolnville Central School gym in a snaking line, ala Disney World, except the payoff was not a ride down Splash...
New record expected for absentee ballot returns in Maine
Mon, 11/07/2016 - 4:00pm
The Maine State Bar Association reported: “According to the Secretary of State, as of November 1, more than 220,000 Mainers had requested absentee ballots for the November 8 election, and more than 160,000 had already voted using this process. Thursday, November 3, was the last day for voters to pick up absentee ballots. The record for most votes cast by absentee ballot is 237,000 from the 2008 presidential election, where almost 237,000 Mainers voted using this method. The number of Mainers...
Letter to the Editor: In support of Josh Gerritsen
Sat, 11/05/2016 - 2:30pm
Lincolnville residents are lucky to have choices this year when they elect their next select board representative, and although I'm not a Lincolnville resident myself, I wanted to offer a few thoughts about my friend, Josh Gerritsen, for those who might be interested and are still deciding who will get their vote. Josh and I graduated together in the same class of Camden HIlls Regional High School and both made the choice to return to the Midcoast after college. I know he shares in the deep...
Letter to the Editor: In support of Rosey Gerry
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 4:00pm
Lincolnville is faced with a unique situation this coming election. A valued select board member and life-long community member is ending her term early, leaving a seven-month opening. Board of Selectmen terms are for three years. I have had the privilege to serve the community for five years. I was surprised how long it took to learn all the facets of the job. If it weren't for the kindness and mentorship of our Town Administrator and board members, it would have taken me even longer. Though...
Letter to the Editor: Owen Casas is the easy choice
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 3:45pm
The easy choice – Owen Casas In an election year full of tough decisions at both the local and national level, I'm relieved to be faced with an easy choice for Maine's House District 94 Representative. In the past couple of years, I have witnessed Owen's strong work ethics, love for our community, and his unbiased ability to listen to all sides of a discussion. Rockport is stronger because of Owen's seat on our Select Board, helping to bring about working solutions to our public library woes,...
Letter to the Editor: In support of Ed Glaser
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 3:45pm
Tragically, I can't vote for my dad, Ed Glaser, for Rockland City Council. But I can urge you to! I can't imagine a better person to be on the council. And not just because he's my dad. He's been dedicated to the issues of Rockland for decades and since I was little has engaged me in discussions about politics: taxes, wealth inequality and all that fun stuff. Even people who know they won't agree with him on every issue were asking my dad to run. I think it's because they trust his...
Waldo County
Letter to the Editor: In support of Susan Longley for judge of probate
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 3:30pm
We have the opportunity in Waldo County to re-elect a judge of probate whose work over the past years has benefited those who appear in her court and the taxpayers. How lucky can we get? Judge Susan Longley deserves our support and our thanks. Susan Longley instituted an incentive-based monthly co-payment system for those seeking financial aid for court fees. The system dignifies those with limited funds, making them feel as though they are paying at least some of their way and encourages them...
Letter to the Editor: Support Rosie Gerry in his bid for Lincolnville Selectman
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 3:15pm
I would like you to support Rosie Gerry in his bid for Lincolnville Board of Selectmen. I feel that his prior years on the board and vast knowledge of the town make him the best candidate for this short term. The Board is getting ready to start the budget process for next year and Rosie's input into this process has been very helpful in the past. When putting together this information in the past, we have relied heavily on David Kinney's knowledge of how and why we have done things. Also on...
Letter to the Editor: An update from Marc Ratner - Camden Select Board
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 3:00pm
As I joined the Camden Select Board in mid- June [2016], I thought this might be a good time to write an update on the experience. The experience is much like viewing an iceberg. Only 10 percent of an iceberg can be seen. The other 90 percent is below the waterline. Working on the Select Board is much like that. 10% of what we do seems to be noticed by the public – even those looking closely. But the other 90 percent is where the real work is. Making a rough count I've been to six Select Board...
Overseer of the voting booth, the hub of the community
All hail the Municipal Clerk: Fair, patient, accurate, they are the ‘Remembrancers’
Thu, 11/03/2016 - 4:30pm

The unsung heroes in all Midcoast towns are the municipal clerks. You may not know them, but they probably know you, or at least, your vital birth, marriage and death stats. These are the quiet, efficient overseers of local government, and their duties may range from taking minutes at budget committee meetings to ensuring that elections proceed without a hitch. Both tasks are significant, and glitches in either can spell legal trouble for the city or town. Clerks, and their deputies, preside...
Voter’s Guides to the Maine Initiatives: Marijuana, education tax, gun background check, minimum wage, ranked choice voting
Thu, 11/03/2016 - 3:45pm

The League of Women Voters of Maine and the Maine Secretary of State have both produced in-depth and information guides to the five initiatives and one bond measure that is before all Maine voters this Nov. 8. Their easy-to-read publications also provide information on other questions and candidates. Here are links to both: Easy to Read Voter Guide, Maine General Election (League of Women Voters) The Maine Secretary of State has compiled a Nov. 8, 2016, ...
Letter to the editor: The Friends of Rockport Public Library say yes
Mon, 10/31/2016 - 10:45am
The Board of the Friends of Rockport Library supports referendum question 4, a bond for the new library. After years of meetings, focus groups, studies by experts, and discussions, we agree the Select Board’s proposal to build the two-story building designed by Reed & Associates at 1 Limerock Street will be a wonderful addition to the town. Some people believe the building is too small, others say it is too big. Some want it to be located at the RES site, others believe it has to be in the...
Letter to the editor: New Rockport library gains steam prior to election
Fri, 10/28/2016 - 10:15pm
Citizens in Rockport are coalescing around a plan to build a new, expanded library at the historical site of the old library. The consensus is growing in the weeks leading to a Nov. 8 vote on the new library plan, which has also received the unanimous support of Rockport’s elected Select Board. Some community leaders have seized on the new library plan as an investment in the town, making Rockport more inviting to businesses, workers, and new transplants — all vital to Rockport’s growth. “When...
Letter to the editor: Help the new Rockport library move forward with a yes vote
Tue, 10/25/2016 - 8:30pm
We need a new library. There are many reasons why: The old library is no longer safe and cannot satisfy our town’s needs. The new library will have a dedicated children’s room. There will be space for adult educational and cultural programs. Books and materials will be accessible to all. The building will be ADA compliant. Parking will be improved. The new library is to be built in its historic location. The architects, Reed & Co, are experienced library designers and have designed a...
Letter to the editor: Robert Duke, Jr., seeks write-ins for county budget committee District 5
Tue, 10/25/2016 - 4:30pm
If you are a property owner, you probably know that a portion of your Property Tax Bill is apportioned to Knox County Government. Though almost always increasing annually, this budget that determines what you pay is scrutinized by the Knox County Budget Committee. This Committee is made up of eight Districts with an unpaid representative from each district is elected by the voters to serve their town. I have served on the Knox Budget Committee consecutively for three four year terms and am...
Letter to the editor: Mother Hubbard’s Shoe, the Tale of the Rockport Library
Tue, 10/25/2016 - 4:00pm
A library is more than a house for books. In Rockport, the library is also a place where people gather and share mutual interests; attend cultural events; get help from the librarian/ tech tutors on Thursday afternoons; access 70 other Maine library collections in addition to Rockport’s collection of books, audio books, DVDs and Kindles; use the library’s computers and high speed internet to access 50 research databases. The children’s librarian even takes the show on the road, traveling to...
Letter to the editor: Camden’s proposed noise ordinance is a good starting point
Tue, 10/25/2016 - 2:45pm
I was the chairman of the Working Group charged by the Camden Select Board in early 2015 to research the need for an improved Noise Ordinance. Working with the Camden Planning Board, we provided recommendations to the Select Board regarding the need for and type it should be. Comments are circulating that the proposed amendment (Article No.4 on the ballot) was not reviewed or discussed at the select board or planning board meetings and public input was not considered. This is incorrect. The...
Oct. 25
Rockland holds informational meeting on $10.4 million sewer improvement bond
Tue, 10/25/2016 - 1:00pm
Rockland is holding a public information meeting Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. at the City Hall to outline the current condition of the city’s aging sewer system and wastewater treatment facility and introduce a proposed plan to make necessary improvements that will not result in an increase to sewer fees and property taxes, according to city officials. The purpose of the meeting is to provide detailed information regarding capital improvement financing, history of the system construction and use, results...
Letter to the editor: Approve the ecomaine compromise contract for solid waste disposal
Mon, 10/24/2016 - 1:15pm
As one of the appointed citizens to represent you on the Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation Board of Directors, better known as Mid-Coast Solid Waste, I have come to the conclusion that a vote for a three- to five-year contract with ecomaine is our best available option. The Municipal Review Committee, of which we are currently members and represents the 187 towns sending trash to the Penobscot Energy Recovery Corporation, determined that the waste to energy incinerator will no longer be...
Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Hope and Owls Head area
Aldersgate Methodist Church offers rides for early voters
Mon, 10/24/2016 - 1:00pm
The Aldersgate United Methodist Church is offering free transportation to the polls for early absentee voting on either Friday, October 28, or Tuesday, November 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. on each day. Rides are offered without regard for party affiliation. No advice or voting recommendations will be provided. The church believes strongly that no one should be prevented from voting because of lack of transportation. Please phone the church at 596-5715 on Oct. 28 or Nov. 1 when you are ready for your...
Meet your candidate...
Lincolnville Board of Selectmen Candidate: Gina Sawyer
Mon, 10/24/2016 - 10:45am

Gina Sawyer is seeking the open one-year term, November 2016 to June 2017, on the Lincolnville Board of Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor. The seat became available before it expired, due to the resignation of selectman and secretary Cathy Hardy, whose term was to expire June 2017. What is your background, personal bio information?   I was born in Camden, and lived in Camden and Lincolnville all my life and went to school at Camden-Rockport. I...
Letter to the editor: Let’s build a Rockport library where everyone can enjoy it
Sun, 10/23/2016 - 6:30pm
Having lived in Rockport Village my whole life ( 59 years); well, I moved here at three months, served 12 years on the Rockport Select board, was a volunteer firefighter, served on the Rockport Zoning Board of Appeals and various ad hoc committees, and attendee or moderator of decades of Rockport town meetings, I’d like to share my opinions on Article 4: a new Library. Given the opinion from professionals, our presentliibrary needs to go. So we need to buy or construct a building. The present...
Letter to the editor: Vote for Pay As You Throw in Waldoboro
Fri, 10/21/2016 - 11:00am
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) makes sense. It will save Waldoboro a lot of money by giving us citizens an incentive to recycle. This incentive will reduce the trash that is trucked away to Orrington to be burned. How much will it save? Based on results in other Maine towns, annual tax revenue to fund the transfer station's is projected to decrease more than $300,000 by 2019. That's a savings of 67%. I hope every citizen of Waldoboro will get into the habit of separating out what can be recycled,...
Four candidates vie for two Rockland City Council seats
Rockland City Council candidates state positions at debate
Thu, 10/20/2016 - 10:00pm

ROCKLAND – Four candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot seeking a seat on the Rockland City Council include Larry Pritchett, Brian Harden, Ed Glaser and Steve Carroll. They all met at City Hall for a well-attended candidates Forum Oct 19. The 90-minute forum was moderated by Stephen Betts, from the Bangor Daily News. The candidates answered questions for the public and were quick to point out when they agreed with statements made by other candidates, or when a candidate was right in their...
Opinion
Rockport Select Board urges residents to ‘thoughtfully consider library concept plan and proposed financing’
Wed, 10/19/2016 - 8:45pm
As you are well aware, Rockport has been considering the future of the Rockport Public Library for several years. In 2015, the Select Board voted to form the Ad Hoc Library Planning Committee and charged that committee to select an architect to provide a concept plan for a new library to be built on the property gifted to the town for that purpose by Mary Curtis Bok Zimbalist, and to use guidelines provided by the Library Committee regarding library programs to help develop the plan. The...
Letter to the editor: Rockport needs better financial planning
Wed, 10/19/2016 - 3:30pm
When you open your Rockport ballot to vote, you will be presented with another multimillion dollar request from our selectmen and town manager for a capital expenditure for a new library. In June, when we voted, they asked for several hundred thousand for a study to spend multimillions to put internet throughout the Town. We still have a sidewalk to be rebuilt on Pascal, a fire station to expand in West Rockport, a new vocational high school proposal and a solution to our middle school problems...
Letter to the editor: Why we need a Camden noise ordinance
Mon, 10/17/2016 - 7:15pm
Camden voters have a chance to vote on an important improvement to our noise ordinance on November 8. Some questions that are natural for voters to ask include: Why do we need it? What does it cover? What is not covered & why? How was the noise limit chosen & why is it reasonable? The goal of this letter is to answer these questions Why we need it: Primarily, it removes the subjectivity of the current ordinance regarding how loud is too loud which leads to arguments and animosity as...
Meet your candidate...
Lincolnville Board of Selectmen Candidate: Rosendel Gerry
Mon, 10/17/2016 - 12:15pm

Rosendel “Rosey” Gerry is seeking the open one-year term, November 2016 to June 2017, on the Lincolnville Board of Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor. The seat became available before it expired, due to the resignation of selectman and secretary Cathy Hardy, whose term was to expire June 2017. What is your background, personal bio information? As for my personal background, only a few in Lincolnville know! But through a great bribe, Dave Kinney...
Meet your candidate...
Lincolnville Board of Selectmen Candidate: Josh Gerritsen
Mon, 10/17/2016 - 12:15pm

Josh Gerritsen is seeking the open one-year term, November 2016 to June 2017, on the Lincolnville Board of Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor. The seat became available before it expired, due to the resignation of selectman and secretary Cathy Hardy, whose term was to expire June 2017. What is your background, personal bio information? I grew up in Midcoast Maine and left to pursue a career elsewhere, like most young people do. I am a graduate...
Opinion
Vote yes on ecomaine article (Camden, Hope, Lincolnville, Rockport) Nov. 8 and move forward with recycling efforts
Tue, 10/11/2016 - 12:15pm

Compromise is hard, especially when it's your side has that has to do most of the compromising. Many of you have asked me how I will vote on the waste disposal question being put before voters in November. It's not the question I wish we were voting on, but I do believe we can accomplish more by voting yes than by protesting with a no vote. Quite simply, we were outmaneuvered, and some Mid-Coast Solid Waste officials (and others) succeeded in running out the clock on our chance to continue...
Letter to the editor: Rockport, expect something wonderful
Mon, 10/10/2016 - 2:45pm
Expect Something Wonderful..... To Happen when you choose to vote YES on Rockport Article 4, which is to authorize a bond for a Renewed Library in Rockport! The town and its residents are the ones who can make it happen....this time! It will be marvelous to have many reachable shelves for the little explorers to peruse and discover the books and pictures that enchant them. There will be enough room to house/display the book collections and room to grow for decades. Interior design includes a...
Plan to attend town discussions about Mid-Coast Solid Waste future
Thu, 10/06/2016 - 3:15pm

Over the next month and into November, as Manager of your Mid-Coast Solid Waste transfer facility, I and a representative of ecomaine will be meeting with the public and our member select boards to discuss the benefits of a “yes” vote on November 8 for the proposed ecomaine contract recommended by the Board of Mid-Coast Solid Waste. This proposal evolved as a compromise after voters in three of our four towns turned down a 20-year commitment with ecomaine. The compromise provides a sufficient...
Letter to the editor: Reasons behind the Rockport Library bond proposal
Wed, 09/21/2016 - 12:45pm
November’s election ballots might be overwhelming. Along with presidential, national, and state legislative choices, there will be important state and local questions. This year the state ballot questions will draw a lot of attention — recreational marijuana, background checks for guns, and raising the minimum wage to mention just three. Turnouts will be large, lines may snake around, and no one wants to be in a voting booth longer than they have to. But please, please pay attention to local...
How to vote with absentee ballots
Tue, 09/13/2016 - 2:30pm
2016 Absentee Voting in Maine, from the State of Maine’s voter information page 2016 Guide to Absentee Voting in Maine Online Absentee Ballot Request Use this online service to request your absentee ballot electronically. The ballot will be sent to you via postal mail and must be returned to your municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Uniformed Service & Overseas Voters (UOCAVA) - For information specific to: Uniformed Service Voter: Active duty military and their dependents (U.S...
At the polls, Nov. 8
Rockport voters to consider $2 million library bond, new road rules, ecomaine contract on November warrant
Mon, 09/12/2016 - 12:00pm

ROCKPORT — A three-hour series of public hearings Sept. 8 in Rockport resulted in approval of four municipal proposals that citizens will consider when they go to the polls Nov. 8. They include possibly borrowing of $2 million to help build a new $4 million library; approving a road acceptance ordinance amendment so that Hawthorne Drive will convert from private to public purview; eliminating what some say is an outdated and cumbersome sidewalk ordinance; and signing a contract with the...