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Archive for March 2012

Enough is Enough: Do you hear those footsteps behind you?

By Robert E. Macdonald

Mayor of Lewiston

Bang! Pop! Pow! Sirens, blue and red lights. Police cars and ambulances. Language so foul that it could not be used in an X-rated film (but pales when compared to the language of today’s inner-city youth).

Hard-working men and women seeking the bottle to alleviate their frustrations brought on by their thankless jobs in one of Lewiston-Auburn’s mill. They fought in the bars. They fought in the streets. They fought the police.

Sometimes the police fought other police officers trying to instill respect for the badge on an unruly citizen. This was a typical weekend during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s on Lisbon Street in Lewiston.

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DaVinci’s owner is Restaurateur of the Year

Jules Patry, owner of DaVinci’s Eatery in Lewiston and a leader in the repurposing of the Bates Mill complex, will be honored as Restaurateur of the Year by the Maine Restaurant Association Board.

The Restaurateur of the Year award goes to those who have proven themselves as astute restaurant entrepreneurs who demonstrate creative talent and dedication to perfecting the dining experience. They operate businesses that serve as a cornerstone of their respective communities.

In addition to the Restaurateur of the Year award, the association will honor the Chef of the Year and the Allied Member of the Year, as well as present the Lifetime Achievement award. These awards will be presented on April 3 during the Maine Restaurant Association’s annual awards banquet.

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LETTER: Get the job done or step aside

To the Editor:

Let’s be realistic. I hope our local girls, Senator Craven and Rep. Rotundo, are finished patting themselves on their backs over the new state budget. (“Dems: Lewiston jobs, health care preserved in new budget,” TCT, page 1, March 1, 2012)

It’s just more Band-Aids instead of long-term solutions to Maine’s budgetary problems. They still do not understand that there are not enough worker-bees left to take care of the ever-increasing crowd of drones. Governor LePage was brave enough to face the state’s problems, but our representatives were more interested in getting pats on their heads and credits for their party!

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LETTER: It’s all about jobs, jobs, jobs

To the Editor:

In this election year, both Republicans and Democrats in Maine will be talking about jobs, jobs, jobs. There is one surefire way to get more jobs fast. Let Maine workers decide for themselves whether they want to join a union or not.

They should have the right to choose, not be forced to join a union that they do not want. Maine should become one of the 23 “Right to Work” states. These states have seen double the population growth of forced unionism states because workers go where the jobs are.

“Right to Work” states have gained 25 U.S. House seats since 1990. Why? Again, because people move to where the jobs are. Forced unionism suffocates jobs and makes companies less competitive.

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LETTER: Next election, stop the insanity

To the Editor:

The quote “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” is credited to Albert Einstein. I thought of his quote when I heard the news that U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe will not be running for reelection.

I knew what was coming. Sure, let’s round up the usual suspects. We all know who they are—former governors, wanna-be governors, present members of congress, you know the names—and watch as those folks all come to the feeding frenzy.

They have all done such a wonderful job with our state and country, let’s give one of them a raise and send them to Washington.

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Royal Oak Room Wedding Show

The Royal Oak Room at Ironhorse Court hosted a Wedding Show on Sunday, February 26, offering newly engaged couples a relaxing afternoon at the historic Royal Oak Room while meeting with some of the area’s best wedding professionals. The show featured complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by Personal Touch Catering, a cash bar and live music, thanks to the talented Three Point Trio, and The Music Connection. Pictured are Paula Cano and Peter Turner of A Family Affair of Maine event planning and design with Chef Kevin Fallen of Personal Touch Catering and Laura Kibort, owner of The Royal Oak Room. See more on Page 10 in the Digital Edition. (TCT photo by Jen Pike)

Dems: Lewiston jobs, health care preserved in new budget

By Sen. Margaret Craven (D-Lewiston)

and Rep. Peggy Rotundo (D-Lewiston)

Recently lawmakers in Augusta passed a budget that resolves an immediate shortfall in the state’s health care program called MaineCare. MaineCare is a health care program that provides health insurance and prescription drug coverage for the elderly, disabled, mentally ill and the poor.

Seventy percent of enrollees are children, seniors or individuals with disabilities. MaineCare payments go to hospitals and health care providers to pay for care, not into the pockets of eligible individuals.

The budget that lawmakers passed rejects the worst of Governor Paul LePage’s irresponsible, illegal and dangerous proposals that have made headlines in the past four months. The budget also allows us to continue to preserve care for the elderly, disabled and children, while preventing drastic cuts to our local hospitals. These cuts would have shifted costs to municipalities and hospitals, caused job losses and resulted in increased insurance premiums for middle-class families across the state.

Local Democrats worked hard to mitigate the harm the governor’s original budget would have caused here in Lewiston. We worked with our hospitals and health care providers to present an alternative to the governor’s irresponsible proposal. If it were not for Democrats, 65,000 Maine people would no longer have health care on April 1.

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Enough is Enough: “Golly Moses, natcherly we’re punks!”

By Robert E. Macdonald

Mayor of Lewiston

As a child, did you dream and fantasize your life upon reaching adulthood? Did you visualize being a doctor? A lawyer? A teacher? An auto mechanic? A hoodlum?

Later in life, if you fulfilled your childhood aspirations, was it all you expected it to be?

Let us suppose that after many years of continued study and many professional conferences, you reached the height of your profession. The skills you developed elevated your status among your colleagues and the public at large. Then one day, from out of nowhere you are presented with a problem that your training had not prepared you for: clients with whom you could not communicate. This is one of the many problems facing Lewiston teachers and staff today.

When they first come into the country, non-English speakers should be immersed in our language and culture before they are allowed into our public schools. Our current policies are dictated by alleged experts in Washington D.C. and Augusta, Maine who have a better understanding of the maintenance needs of their offices than the problems facing today’s schools.

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B2B Trade Show: “Get Connected”

The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council has announced the date and theme of the 17th Annual Androscoggin Business to Business Trade Show.

With the theme, “Networking Locally, Connecting Socially—Get Connected,” this year’s show will be held Thursday, June 14 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston.

Considered by many businesses to be the most significant networking event in the state for its ability to draw nearly 200 exhibitors and an estimated 2,500 attendees, this year’s show will focus on how businesses have used social media to enhance their brand, while at the same time maintaining important relationships by networking and meeting face to face.

“Whether you use social media or you don’t, it’s here,” said Business to Business Trade Show planning committee member Stephanie Lewis of the LAEGC. “Nothing should replace meeting people and shaking hands. However, what we are interested in is how businesses have used social media to interact with customers to enhance their brand.”

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LETTER: Unskilled workers turn to welfare for support

To the Editor:

Public welfare is a societal invention requiring that people who work support those who do not. More important than the resentment this causes in some—and the loss-of-dignity it causes in others—it is wasteful and inefficient. Our society should, with minimal government interference, employ as much of its population as possible and enable individuals, each selfishly striving in their own self-interest, to benefit society as a whole.

Contrary to common belief, recipients who prefer not to work are a decreasing segment of the welfare population. For most, the reasons for unemployment are more complex. Many jobless lack the skills and education necessary for vacancies that plead for applicants.

Bill Gates, in a radio interview, stated that he offers a six-figure package for any qualified college graduate. But because there are insufficient applicants, he has to build and hire outside the U.S. It has been projected that by 2020 there will be 130 million high-skilled and high-paying jobs available, but only 50 million Americans qualified to fill them.

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