Governor John E. Baldacci State of the State January 9, 2008 Madam President, Mr. Speaker, Madam Chief Justice, members of the Legislature, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens:We come together tonight as Maine stands on the verge of a new era.The choices we make in the coming days will help to define who we are as a State, and what we hope to become.I will not splash varnish on the hard truths before us.Home heating oil and gasoline prices are at record highs. Winter, just a few weeks old, has already shown its teeth.The national economy is struggling under the weight of declining home values.State revenues are not immune from the national condition and are falling short of expectations by $95 million dollars. We are forced to make hard decisions and set priorities. And we remain a country at war, with men and women called to duty in far-off and dangerous lands. Every word I have spoken is the inescapable truth. But there's more to Maine's story than those challenges we face.In the five years since I first addressed you as Governor, much has changed in Maine.Today I am proud to say that we are better prepared and more able to weather economic storms.You, my friends, have done much of the hard work. You have not only balanced budgets, and demanded efficiencies. You've also come together - often in a spirit of bipartisanship -- to solve problems.Five years ago, we faced a $1.2 billion dollar budget gap. Our financial reserves were gone.The State was borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars just to keep the lights on. Our credit rating was headed down.Those days are gone - hopefully banished forever.Today, we have rebuilt our reserves to almost $160 million dollars, and no longer take out payday loans to keep government open.We have closed that budget gap and by the end of next year we will have invested more than $1 billion new State dollars in local education.And we have done it all without raising the sales tax or income tax.I want to repeat that, because it's something the entire State should be proud of.We have invested more than $1 billion new dollars in local education, rebuilt our reserves and stopped short-term borrowing. Standard and Poor's has raised our financial rating.All without raising the sales or income tax.That, my friends, is an accomplishment.It has put us in a position of strength to deal with a fickle national economy.Tonight, standing before you and with full knowledge of the challenges we face, I report that the State of this State is strong and determined to meet the future head on.The revenue downturn we face in the two-year budget is a serious challenge that demands action.On Dec. 18, I issued an executive order that reduced State spending by $38 million dollars for the rest of this fiscal year.The Constitution of Maine requires the governor to ensure the State budget is balanced. Every part of State government was called upon to make recommendations on how to reduce spending while maintaining their core missions.I understand that these decisions touch real lives.The cuts were not easy, but we are moving forward in a way that makes sure that we can protect our most vulnerable citizens while also meeting my Constitutional duty. On that point, according to the Kaiser Foundation, Maine ranks first among the States in Medicaid spending for children, second in Medicaid spending for adults and fifth in Medicaid spending for the disabled.Overall, according to Kaiser, Maine spends more per Medicaid enrollee than any other State.So, tomorrow, when I unveil the details of my revisions to the two-year budget I can promise you this:We will not pull the safety net out from under our most vulnerable citizens.We will not take from our financial reserves to balance the budget.And we will not increase taxes.If we are to have the resources to invest in higher education, economic development and universal health care, we cannot continue to spend millions on systems built in the 1950s. We must transform government at all levels. We must strengthen it to meet the demands of a new age. And we must prioritize our spending.Government has an important role to play, but it cannot be all things to all people.At the same time, beware of quick fixes and people who promise gain without change. They sell a bill of goods layered in promises that cannot be kept.They say: You can have it all. The decisions aren't difficult.We all know that's not true. The decisions ARE difficult.We've made them and will continue to make them.Since taking office in 2003, we have reduced the rolls of State government by more than 600 jobs. We have merged two major State departments, eliminating a commissioner, deputy commissioners; And we have centralized back-office and administrative functions in all State departments. In just the first two years, that saved $11.5 million dollars.It's not the stuff of headlines. It's good government, and it's done.Last year, the Legislature passed a truly historic reform of local education.The new law reduces the number of school administrative units from 290 to 80.School administrative units: That's a mouth full. It sounds very government-like, very bureaucratic.That's because it is.And that's the problem. Since the early 80s, the number of students in Maine has declined by almost 40,000 and is expected to decline by 20,000 more in the next five years. During the same time, the number of school administrators has increased by 400. For 50 years, we have done the same old thing, the same old way, and it hasn't produced the excellence and results that we need.It's not sustainable and drains resources from students and teachers. Now we are on our way to a new structure that will better serve our people. It will save taxpayers money and provide a better education for our children. Legislation introduced this year and already approved by the Education Committee will further strengthen the new law.Even so, the fighting around it has not stopped.We cannot return to the dysfunction of the past. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt talked about the tendency of government to fall victim to inertia and to retreat from important gains when put under pressure by powerful special interests."Shall we pause now and turn our back upon the road that lies ahead?," he asked. "Shall we call this the promised land? Or, shall we continue on our way?"As President Roosevelt knew then and the people of Maine know today, progress and growth are in front of us, not in the past.As President Roosevelt said then, "We will carry on."In August, we began a conversation about the way we treat inmates in our prisons and county jails and about the financial hardships created by our current, fragmented system.It is bad for taxpayers and bad for mentally ill and drug-addicted prisoners who do not get the care they need to break the cycle of crime.It must change.Tomorrow I will submit legislation to unify the state prison system with the 15 county jail administrations.The plan has evolved from when we first began talking about it. We have listened to concerns from counties. And we have made changes to improve our plan.I would like to say tonight that all the differences between the counties and the State have been resolved. They haven't.But I can say that progress has been made. Sheriffs and commissioners have come a long way from the starting point, and so have we. I believe that common ground is still possible. And I believe a solution exists that will save taxpayer money and improve the treatment of the people in our care.President Lincoln wrote to Congress in 1862: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."You don't have to face the deepest crisis in the history of the Republic - as Lincoln did - to understand the necessity of thinking about old problems in new ways.We live in a complex world that requires government to carry an increasing load. Natural resource and environmental issues demand experts with broad experiences.In a time of declining revenues and increasing financial pressures in other areas of the budget, we can't continue funding silos that keep our experts separate and our attentions divided.It's been more than 30 years since we developed our approach to the stewardship of Maine's natural resources. In those three decades, the world has changed dramatically. There have been amazing advances in science and technology.And Maine's natural resource agencies haven't been allowed to keep up. The structure hasn't kept up pace with the changing times.Already, we've brought together those agencies' back-office staffs, accountants and IT experts. We created a single natural resource service center to do all those jobs that aren't part of the agencies core responsibilities.That's done. But we need to do more.In my budget, I will propose a process that will result in no more than two natural resources agencies, where today we have four. We will seek efficiencies and combine programs that shouldn't be separated by bureaucracies.I know that I don't have all the answers, but I do believe we can find them together.The merger process will seek input from those willing to come to the table.Our goal is to enhance the services provided to natural resource-based businesses; To increase outdoor recreation; And to improve natural resource management.We need to end the duplication in administration that stands in the way.Our efforts are not confined to a single area of government. We are looking at government at every level, and we're looking for improvement.Earlier this month, Maine selected a private company, Unisys Corporation, a nationally respected company, to fix a troubled part of the Department of Health and Human Services.For almost three years, we have struggled with a Medicaid computer system that has never lived up to expectations. It's caused countless headaches and heartaches for Maine businesses and created financial difficulties for the State.With this work, we will move on to a better way of doing business. I am also proposing a reorganization of the upper and middle management at Health and Human Services that will give my commissioner the flexibility she needs to run Maine's largest department. It will empower frontline workers, reduce from 10 to 6 the number of central offices in the agency and consolidate management at the regional level.To be successful, you must be able to adapt. We will give them that ability.But success also depends on innovation.Maine has led the country on health care reform, an innovation that matters to families and businesses alike.When the federal government passed a poorly designed Medicare drug benefit that actually hurt some senior citizens in our State, Maine stepped forward to ease the transition.When the federal government failed to deliver on affordable health care, Maine stepped forward.We will continue to step forward.In my budget, we will bring together three of the largest purchasers of health care in the State for a new initiative to save taxpayer money and provide better care to consumers.The Maine State Employees Health Commission, the University of Maine System and the Maine Education Association will join forces and put their enormous buying power to work to lower prescription drug costs.This cooperative effort will save money for thousands of workers who need medicine, for taxpayers whose dollars contribute to the system and it will increase the amount of money available to fund health care for retired teachers.More than 28,000 Mainers have been insured through our Dirigo Health program. We've extended coverage to more families and more small businesses, and we've done it in a way that has saved millions of dollars in health care spending.Last year, we were close to taking the next step with Dirigo. This year, we'll do it.I will support Legislative efforts to provide meaningful market reform that will make coverage more affordable for individuals.And I will work with the Legislature to find a new way to fund Dirigo that is less contentious and more sustainable.I believe health care is a fundamental and basic right. Every man, woman and child should be able to count on receiving the care they need when they need it.I am very pleased that the Dirigo Health Agency has contracted with a new partner, Harvard Pilgrim Health.Harvard Pilgrim is a nonprofit health plan that is consistently ranked No. 1 by consumers nationally. The company brings new and important competition to Maine's health care marketplace. I'm pleased to welcome Harvard Pilgrim to Maine, and I want to recognize in the gallery the company's CEO, Charlie Baker. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you.Charlie, I ask you to rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber. When I think about what matters most to me, and to the people I meet when I travel around the State, it's not the ins and outs of a particular policy. It's not the details that we will wring our hands over from now until April.What matters most is more basic. It's family and friends. Tonight, as I speak to you, Maine has 102 members of the National Guard deployed overseas.Soon, more men and women will be joining them.This month 130 members of the 126th Aviation Regiment from Bangor will go to Iraq for the second time. These men and women save lives by putting their own at risk; they fly into danger to rescue other soldiers.Another 16-person team of National Guard Soldiers will also leave this month for Afghanistan to train that country's military.They deserve our appreciation; they deserve our support. Please join me in saluting their service and sacrifice by recognizing Major Brian Veneziano, the commander of the 126th. Please rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber.These brave men and women want the same things as you and I: A good job with benefits, a college education for their kids, and to know that their families are nearby and secure.Family is the most important thing.Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey.You could not have a first lady more committed to Maine's children, to education and to the State. She is a tireless advocate for literacy, and promotes Maine wherever she goes. I'd like to ask Karen to stand and be recognized by the Chamber.My family's not that much different than a lot of others in Maine.We have our family discussions, agreements and disagreements.But I have never lost sight of what it means to work hard and still struggle to pay the bills.I have met countless men and women who play by the rules, go to work everyday and still can't seem to get ahead.In 1965, President Johnson understood the great divide in our country and spoke about it.He said: "In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty. In a land rich in harvest, children must not go hungry. In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die unattended."If President Johnson were speaking today and lived in Maine, I think he would have added at least one more line:In a land of technology, science and abundant natural resources, no family should go to bed wondering if their fuel oil will last until morning, worried that they will wake up cold.I know families and businesses are struggling with high energy costs.I have talked to the truck drivers and small business owners who are being pushed to the brink.And I have heard the call for help.We will answer that call. My administration began working on this problem when the weather was still warm and before oil topped out at $100 dollar a barrel.Working with the United Way, Eastern Maine Funders and the Maine Community Action Agencies, the Keep Maine Warm Fund has raised more than $1 million dollars to provide emergency fuel assistance.The effort is gaining momentum. I am pleased to announce tonight that LL Bean will be making a contribution of $250,000 to the Keep Maine Warm Fund, joining such organizations as Irving Oil, The Libra Foundation, The Fisher Foundation, Wright Express, Maine Bank and Trust, and TD Banknorth.I'd like to thank Leon Gorman, LL Bean's chairman, for his company's efforts. Please stand Leon, and accept the greetings of the Chamber.The Fund is an example of Mainers taking care of Mainers.I know not everyone is able, but I'd ask those of you who can to join the effort to Keep Maine Warm by making a charitable contribution to this very worthy cause.Working closely with Maine's Congressional Delegation, we will continue to put pressure on Washington to release funding for energy assistance. The money's there; and we need to put it to work.I have signed an executive order making it easier for companies to make small fuel deliveries to families in need.I have sought relief for truck drivers devastated by high diesel costs. During this session, I will submit legislation to help safeguard the forest products industry, which has been particularly hard hit and is so important to our rural economy.We are doing what we can for as many people as we can. And those efforts will not cease.For too long, our country and our state have been dependent on costly foreign oil. Eighty percent of Maine's homes are reliant on oil for heat. As prices have risen, we have sent billions of dollars out of state to pay for it. Money that otherwise would have remained with the families and businesses in Maine. We must move forward aggressively to heat our homes with resources we have or can make right here.We have made great strides in the development of wind energy. We cannot be shy about new projects. We will rewrite the rulebook to make wind power development easier without compromising our environment.Maine has tremendous potential for wind power. Already $2 billion worth of investments have been approved or are awaiting consideration. And an equal amount is being explored.Just last week a new project on Stetson Mountain won approval. We can harness the tremendous power of the wind and tides to power our industries and light our homes.And we are also working closely with Maine's Native American Tribes to support and promote alternative energy projects.The future rests within reach, and we must seize it.Tonight, I am announcing a "Wood-to-Energy Initiative" to bring Maine-made sources of heat to the homes and businesses of Maine. This partnership will bring together the public and private sectors to explore what is possible and what is practical. I have asked Maine entrepreneur Les Otten, who is here tonight, to bring together business leaders and our Department of Conservation to lead my Administration's efforts on a conversion initiative that will use our forests and natural resources to relieve consumption of nonrenewable oil. As a first step in this Initiative, my Administration will pursue a transition to biofuels such as wood pellets and wood chips. We will identify those state buildings where conversion to wood pellets, wind or other renewable sources of energy can reduce costs by 30 to 50 percent.This not only saves money for Maine taxpayers, it generates the investment and business activity to grow Maine's economy.The lessons learned from these demonstration projects will be made available to every home owner and business in Maine. As part of this Initiative, we will identify and promote the financial tools to enable Maine homeowners and small businesses to move away from their reliance on costly foreign oil. We can encourage the alternative energy industry in way that benefits Maine without disadvantaging existing businesses reliant on wood for other products. We are already working on a collaborative effort with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that will take stock in our natural resources and develop new technologies and new market opportunities.We should look to our Canadian neighbors for new partnerships that can reduce the cost of electricity in Maine and help us to better understand the energy potential of our forests.In this energy crisis, we will develop renewable sources of energy made in Maine, by Maine businesses for Maine people.I was still a young boy when President Kennedy was elected in 1960. My father served as a delegate for him at the national convention. Kennedy's words still hold power today.He said: "The dynamic of democracy is the power and the purpose of the individual, and the policy of this administration is to give to the individual the opportunity to realize his or her own highest possibilities."It's an ideal that helps guide us today. Through our workforce training initiatives, investments in research and development, and Pine Tree Economic Development Zones, we want to enhance the power of the private sector to create good jobs with good benefits.Between November 2006 and November 2007, Maine's economy created 4,400 new jobs despite slow growth in New England and nationally. Since 2003, Maine's economy has created more than 24,000 new jobs.Our incomes have grown.And we've empowered our people to become entrepreneurs.According to the Kauffman Foundation, Maine ranked in the top five in 2006 for people who, for the first time, started their own new businesses. This is the spirit of Maine.In November, voters approved a $55 million dollar investment that will help those entrepreneurs develop new ideas and bring them to the market.It's the kind of investment that turns good ideas into good jobs.This significant infusion of resources would not have been possible without Karen Mills and my Council on Jobs and Innovation, which she led.Karen, thank you very much for your leadership.Our people are strong, they are resilient and they should not be underestimated.Given the chance, they can achieve great things. I know it, I've seen it. There's evidence of it in every part of Maine.In Brewer, Cianbro Corporation will be creating hundreds of new manufacturing jobs.In Lincoln, Millinocket, East Millinocket and Old Town, mills threatened with extinction are alive and successful. People are back to work.In Belfast, athenahealth, an impressive company, has created 200 new jobs with more to come. Maine was able to beat out Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York to attract this company.When Maine learned that MBNA, a major employer in the State, was merging with Bank of America, there was a lot of pessimism and worry about the future.And for good reason. There was no secret that MBNA's workforce would be reduced and that facilities would be closed.Now, with athenahealth and other new companies, we have successfully put people back to work in former MBNA facilities in Farmington, Portland, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Rockland and now Belfast.The jobs that were lost will be grown back. And hope has replaced despair for those communities.We know we can do it.But we must redouble our efforts to spur economic development. We cannot be lulled into a posture that sees us only able to lurch from one crisis to the next.We must be prepared to stop trouble before it arrives at our doorstep. I've asked my economic development Commissioner John Richardson and Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors to work with the Legislature to change the way we do business for business.We can better serve Maine's business community with a local and regional emphasis and greater co-ordination and partnership.We need to move our economic development efforts away from Augusta and into the communities and regions where it can do the most good.The State's top economic development priority should be to provide them with the support, resources and vision to help them accomplish their goals.We all understand the Maine economy is in a time of dramatic, even historic, change. And we all understand that our future economic success will be built upon the foundation of our people and the special qualities that define our neighborhoods, towns and our state.People are drawn to Maine. We have what they're looking for and what's missing from their everyday lives.Look at tourism, one of the bedrocks of Maine's economy. Last year alone, almost 42 million people visited our State.They come for our natural beauty, our people and our vibrant historical and cultural sites. Last year, voters showed that they understand that. They approved significant investments in conservation and in our environment. Soon, that money will be put to work.Economic prosperity demands that we invest in our workforce, in our open landscapes, and in our historic downtowns.Even now, we cannot become so focused on today that we sacrifice the investments that will make us stronger tomorrow.When I visit places like Lewiston and Auburn, Biddeford and Saco and Waterville, I see the enormous potential for redevelopment. The Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville is a prime example of what is possible.Tom Niemann is here tonight. Thank you very much.That's why I am supporting an historic rehabilitation tax credit. For a modest investment, we can attract millions of dollars worth of growth, which will bring new jobs, new revenues, affordable housing and new life to our cities and towns. It's my goal that children start school ready to learn, and graduate from college ready and able to succeed here in Maine.Early childhood was the heart of my economic Summit held in November. More than 200 Maine business and community leaders came together to understand the positive economic returns from early childhood investments.I will continue to work with those Mainers to transform the Children's Cabinet Task Force on Early Childhood into a Children's Growth Council. We can propel the powerful momentum of the Summit into our communities. Through the power of community, we can create a legacy for our children. Not long ago, Maine lost one of our most generous and inspiring leaders - speaking of children - Harold Alfond, the man who built Dexter Shoe.It's impossible to estimate Harold's impact on Maine. He has touched so many lives and so many communities with his leadership and his philanthropy.Harold challenged us all to do more, to build partnerships and to overcome hurdles.Harold didn't go to college, but he recognized early on that the days of making a good living with just a high school diploma were disappearing.But Harold wasn't blind to life's hard realities. For some families, the promise of college is financially out of reach.With the Alfond College Challenge that he established, the dream is a little closer.The Challenge provides a $500 dollar education grant to every child born in Maine that will help them start a college savings account.It began last week in Augusta and will expand statewide in 2009. And no, you don't have to name your first child Harold.Working through the Finance Authority of Maine and in cooperation with Maine's hospitals, families in this State will have been given a head start on higher education.In his book, Harold wrote that he hoped to retire 10 years after he passed away. He was serious and Maine will be a much better place because of it.Harold's son, Bill Alfond, and his wife, is in the gallery tonight. Please stand and be recognized by the Chamber.Last year, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved Opportunity Maine, a tax credit program that will help students overcome college debt if they live and work in the State after graduation.With these tax credits, we will keep more of our home-grown graduates here, and open the door of opportunity for the next generation of Maine entrepreneurs and leaders.My friends, I am filled with hope. We are taking the steps necessary to grow our economy and improve the lives of the people of Maine.We are streamlining government and cutting administration.And we're controlling spending.We are investing in education and innovation so our children and families can succeed here in our state.We are helping increase incomes by creating good jobs with good benefits.That's the roadmap that gets Maine where it needs to be.This year, the Legislature will be called upon to take bold action, to protect the gains that have been made and to push forward on the reforms that will guide State government into the future.We must ask ourselves: What do we want State government to do? What is fundamental to the health and welfare of our people?We cannot be content with a legacy of work undone.We owe it to our children, and we owe it to our State.That is our task. That is our duty.God Bless you and God Bless the State of Maine. Thank you. Good night.
May 24 2013

Governor John E. Baldacci State of the State January 9, 2008 Madam President, Mr. Speaker, Madam Chief Justice, members of the Legislature, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens:We come together tonight as Maine stands on the verge of a new era.The choices we make in the coming days will help to define who we are as a State, and what we hope to become.I will not splash varnish on the hard truths before us.Home heating oil and gasoline prices are at record highs. Winter, just a few weeks old, has already shown its teeth.The national economy is struggling under the weight of declining home values.State revenues are not immune from the national condition and are falling short of expectations by $95 million dollars. We are forced to make hard decisions and set priorities. And we remain a country at war, with men and women called to duty in far-off and dangerous lands. Every word I have spoken is the inescapable truth. But there's more to Maine's story than those challenges we face.In the five years since I first addressed you as Governor, much has changed in Maine.Today I am proud to say that we are better prepared and more able to weather economic storms.You, my friends, have done much of the hard work. You have not only balanced budgets, and demanded efficiencies. You've also come together - often in a spirit of bipartisanship -- to solve problems.Five years ago, we faced a $1.2 billion dollar budget gap. Our financial reserves were gone.The State was borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars just to keep the lights on. Our credit rating was headed down.Those days are gone - hopefully banished forever.Today, we have rebuilt our reserves to almost $160 million dollars, and no longer take out payday loans to keep government open.We have closed that budget gap and by the end of next year we will have invested more than $1 billion new State dollars in local education.And we have done it all without raising the sales tax or income tax.I want to repeat that, because it's something the entire State should be proud of.We have invested more than $1 billion new dollars in local education, rebuilt our reserves and stopped short-term borrowing. Standard and Poor's has raised our financial rating.All without raising the sales or income tax.That, my friends, is an accomplishment.It has put us in a position of strength to deal with a fickle national economy.Tonight, standing before you and with full knowledge of the challenges we face, I report that the State of this State is strong and determined to meet the future head on.The revenue downturn we face in the two-year budget is a serious challenge that demands action.On Dec. 18, I issued an executive order that reduced State spending by $38 million dollars for the rest of this fiscal year.The Constitution of Maine requires the governor to ensure the State budget is balanced. Every part of State government was called upon to make recommendations on how to reduce spending while maintaining their core missions.I understand that these decisions touch real lives.The cuts were not easy, but we are moving forward in a way that makes sure that we can protect our most vulnerable citizens while also meeting my Constitutional duty. On that point, according to the Kaiser Foundation, Maine ranks first among the States in Medicaid spending for children, second in Medicaid spending for adults and fifth in Medicaid spending for the disabled.Overall, according to Kaiser, Maine spends more per Medicaid enrollee than any other State.So, tomorrow, when I unveil the details of my revisions to the two-year budget I can promise you this:We will not pull the safety net out from under our most vulnerable citizens.We will not take from our financial reserves to balance the budget.And we will not increase taxes.If we are to have the resources to invest in higher education, economic development and universal health care, we cannot continue to spend millions on systems built in the 1950s. We must transform government at all levels. We must strengthen it to meet the demands of a new age. And we must prioritize our spending.Government has an important role to play, but it cannot be all things to all people.At the same time, beware of quick fixes and people who promise gain without change. They sell a bill of goods layered in promises that cannot be kept.They say: You can have it all. The decisions aren't difficult.We all know that's not true. The decisions ARE difficult.We've made them and will continue to make them.Since taking office in 2003, we have reduced the rolls of State government by more than 600 jobs. We have merged two major State departments, eliminating a commissioner, deputy commissioners; And we have centralized back-office and administrative functions in all State departments. In just the first two years, that saved $11.5 million dollars.It's not the stuff of headlines. It's good government, and it's done.Last year, the Legislature passed a truly historic reform of local education.The new law reduces the number of school administrative units from 290 to 80.School administrative units: That's a mouth full. It sounds very government-like, very bureaucratic.That's because it is.And that's the problem. Since the early 80s, the number of students in Maine has declined by almost 40,000 and is expected to decline by 20,000 more in the next five years. During the same time, the number of school administrators has increased by 400. For 50 years, we have done the same old thing, the same old way, and it hasn't produced the excellence and results that we need.It's not sustainable and drains resources from students and teachers. Now we are on our way to a new structure that will better serve our people. It will save taxpayers money and provide a better education for our children. Legislation introduced this year and already approved by the Education Committee will further strengthen the new law.Even so, the fighting around it has not stopped.We cannot return to the dysfunction of the past. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt talked about the tendency of government to fall victim to inertia and to retreat from important gains when put under pressure by powerful special interests."Shall we pause now and turn our back upon the road that lies ahead?," he asked. "Shall we call this the promised land? Or, shall we continue on our way?"As President Roosevelt knew then and the people of Maine know today, progress and growth are in front of us, not in the past.As President Roosevelt said then, "We will carry on."In August, we began a conversation about the way we treat inmates in our prisons and county jails and about the financial hardships created by our current, fragmented system.It is bad for taxpayers and bad for mentally ill and drug-addicted prisoners who do not get the care they need to break the cycle of crime.It must change.Tomorrow I will submit legislation to unify the state prison system with the 15 county jail administrations.The plan has evolved from when we first began talking about it. We have listened to concerns from counties. And we have made changes to improve our plan.I would like to say tonight that all the differences between the counties and the State have been resolved. They haven't.But I can say that progress has been made. Sheriffs and commissioners have come a long way from the starting point, and so have we. I believe that common ground is still possible. And I believe a solution exists that will save taxpayer money and improve the treatment of the people in our care.President Lincoln wrote to Congress in 1862: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."You don't have to face the deepest crisis in the history of the Republic - as Lincoln did - to understand the necessity of thinking about old problems in new ways.We live in a complex world that requires government to carry an increasing load. Natural resource and environmental issues demand experts with broad experiences.In a time of declining revenues and increasing financial pressures in other areas of the budget, we can't continue funding silos that keep our experts separate and our attentions divided.It's been more than 30 years since we developed our approach to the stewardship of Maine's natural resources. In those three decades, the world has changed dramatically. There have been amazing advances in science and technology.And Maine's natural resource agencies haven't been allowed to keep up. The structure hasn't kept up pace with the changing times.Already, we've brought together those agencies' back-office staffs, accountants and IT experts. We created a single natural resource service center to do all those jobs that aren't part of the agencies core responsibilities.That's done. But we need to do more.In my budget, I will propose a process that will result in no more than two natural resources agencies, where today we have four. We will seek efficiencies and combine programs that shouldn't be separated by bureaucracies.I know that I don't have all the answers, but I do believe we can find them together.The merger process will seek input from those willing to come to the table.Our goal is to enhance the services provided to natural resource-based businesses; To increase outdoor recreation; And to improve natural resource management.We need to end the duplication in administration that stands in the way.Our efforts are not confined to a single area of government. We are looking at government at every level, and we're looking for improvement.Earlier this month, Maine selected a private company, Unisys Corporation, a nationally respected company, to fix a troubled part of the Department of Health and Human Services.For almost three years, we have struggled with a Medicaid computer system that has never lived up to expectations. It's caused countless headaches and heartaches for Maine businesses and created financial difficulties for the State.With this work, we will move on to a better way of doing business. I am also proposing a reorganization of the upper and middle management at Health and Human Services that will give my commissioner the flexibility she needs to run Maine's largest department. It will empower frontline workers, reduce from 10 to 6 the number of central offices in the agency and consolidate management at the regional level.To be successful, you must be able to adapt. We will give them that ability.But success also depends on innovation.Maine has led the country on health care reform, an innovation that matters to families and businesses alike.When the federal government passed a poorly designed Medicare drug benefit that actually hurt some senior citizens in our State, Maine stepped forward to ease the transition.When the federal government failed to deliver on affordable health care, Maine stepped forward.We will continue to step forward.In my budget, we will bring together three of the largest purchasers of health care in the State for a new initiative to save taxpayer money and provide better care to consumers.The Maine State Employees Health Commission, the University of Maine System and the Maine Education Association will join forces and put their enormous buying power to work to lower prescription drug costs.This cooperative effort will save money for thousands of workers who need medicine, for taxpayers whose dollars contribute to the system and it will increase the amount of money available to fund health care for retired teachers.More than 28,000 Mainers have been insured through our Dirigo Health program. We've extended coverage to more families and more small businesses, and we've done it in a way that has saved millions of dollars in health care spending.Last year, we were close to taking the next step with Dirigo. This year, we'll do it.I will support Legislative efforts to provide meaningful market reform that will make coverage more affordable for individuals.And I will work with the Legislature to find a new way to fund Dirigo that is less contentious and more sustainable.I believe health care is a fundamental and basic right. Every man, woman and child should be able to count on receiving the care they need when they need it.I am very pleased that the Dirigo Health Agency has contracted with a new partner, Harvard Pilgrim Health.Harvard Pilgrim is a nonprofit health plan that is consistently ranked No. 1 by consumers nationally. The company brings new and important competition to Maine's health care marketplace. I'm pleased to welcome Harvard Pilgrim to Maine, and I want to recognize in the gallery the company's CEO, Charlie Baker. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you.Charlie, I ask you to rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber. When I think about what matters most to me, and to the people I meet when I travel around the State, it's not the ins and outs of a particular policy. It's not the details that we will wring our hands over from now until April.What matters most is more basic. It's family and friends. Tonight, as I speak to you, Maine has 102 members of the National Guard deployed overseas.Soon, more men and women will be joining them.This month 130 members of the 126th Aviation Regiment from Bangor will go to Iraq for the second time. These men and women save lives by putting their own at risk; they fly into danger to rescue other soldiers.Another 16-person team of National Guard Soldiers will also leave this month for Afghanistan to train that country's military.They deserve our appreciation; they deserve our support. Please join me in saluting their service and sacrifice by recognizing Major Brian Veneziano, the commander of the 126th. Please rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber.These brave men and women want the same things as you and I: A good job with benefits, a college education for their kids, and to know that their families are nearby and secure.Family is the most important thing.Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey.You could not have a first lady more committed to Maine's children, to education and to the State. She is a tireless advocate for literacy, and promotes Maine wherever she goes. I'd like to ask Karen to stand and be recognized by the Chamber.My family's not that much different than a lot of others in Maine.We have our family discussions, agreements and disagreements.But I have never lost sight of what it means to work hard and still struggle to pay the bills.I have met countless men and women who play by the rules, go to work everyday and still can't seem to get ahead.In 1965, President Johnson understood the great divide in our country and spoke about it.He said: "In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty. In a land rich in harvest, children must not go hungry. In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die unattended."If President Johnson were speaking today and lived in Maine, I think he would have added at least one more line:In a land of technology, science and abundant natural resources, no family should go to bed wondering if their fuel oil will last until morning, worried that they will wake up cold.I know families and businesses are struggling with high energy costs.I have talked to the truck drivers and small business owners who are being pushed to the brink.And I have heard the call for help.We will answer that call. My administration began working on this problem when the weather was still warm and before oil topped out at $100 dollar a barrel.Working with the United Way, Eastern Maine Funders and the Maine Community Action Agencies, the Keep Maine Warm Fund has raised more than $1 million dollars to provide emergency fuel assistance.The effort is gaining momentum. I am pleased to announce tonight that LL Bean will be making a contribution of $250,000 to the Keep Maine Warm Fund, joining such organizations as Irving Oil, The Libra Foundation, The Fisher Foundation, Wright Express, Maine Bank and Trust, and TD Banknorth.I'd like to thank Leon Gorman, LL Bean's chairman, for his company's efforts. Please stand Leon, and accept the greetings of the Chamber.The Fund is an example of Mainers taking care of Mainers.I know not everyone is able, but I'd ask those of you who can to join the effort to Keep Maine Warm by making a charitable contribution to this very worthy cause.Working closely with Maine's Congressional Delegation, we will continue to put pressure on Washington to release funding for energy assistance. The money's there; and we need to put it to work.I have signed an executive order making it easier for companies to make small fuel deliveries to families in need.I have sought relief for truck drivers devastated by high diesel costs. During this session, I will submit legislation to help safeguard the forest products industry, which has been particularly hard hit and is so important to our rural economy.We are doing what we can for as many people as we can. And those efforts will not cease.For too long, our country and our state have been dependent on costly foreign oil. Eighty percent of Maine's homes are reliant on oil for heat. As prices have risen, we have sent billions of dollars out of state to pay for it. Money that otherwise would have remained with the families and businesses in Maine. We must move forward aggressively to heat our homes with resources we have or can make right here.We have made great strides in the development of wind energy. We cannot be shy about new projects. We will rewrite the rulebook to make wind power development easier without compromising our environment.Maine has tremendous potential for wind power. Already $2 billion worth of investments have been approved or are awaiting consideration. And an equal amount is being explored.Just last week a new project on Stetson Mountain won approval. We can harness the tremendous power of the wind and tides to power our industries and light our homes.And we are also working closely with Maine's Native American Tribes to support and promote alternative energy projects.The future rests within reach, and we must seize it.Tonight, I am announcing a "Wood-to-Energy Initiative" to bring Maine-made sources of heat to the homes and businesses of Maine. This partnership will bring together the public and private sectors to explore what is possible and what is practical. I have asked Maine entrepreneur Les Otten, who is here tonight, to bring together business leaders and our Department of Conservation to lead my Administration's efforts on a conversion initiative that will use our forests and natural resources to relieve consumption of nonrenewable oil. As a first step in this Initiative, my Administration will pursue a transition to biofuels such as wood pellets and wood chips. We will identify those state buildings where conversion to wood pellets, wind or other renewable sources of energy can reduce costs by 30 to 50 percent.This not only saves money for Maine taxpayers, it generates the investment and business activity to grow Maine's economy.The lessons learned from these demonstration projects will be made available to every home owner and business in Maine. As part of this Initiative, we will identify and promote the financial tools to enable Maine homeowners and small businesses to move away from their reliance on costly foreign oil. We can encourage the alternative energy industry in way that benefits Maine without disadvantaging existing businesses reliant on wood for other products. We are already working on a collaborative effort with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that will take stock in our natural resources and develop new technologies and new market opportunities.We should look to our Canadian neighbors for new partnerships that can reduce the cost of electricity in Maine and help us to better understand the energy potential of our forests.In this energy crisis, we will develop renewable sources of energy made in Maine, by Maine businesses for Maine people.I was still a young boy when President Kennedy was elected in 1960. My father served as a delegate for him at the national convention. Kennedy's words still hold power today.He said: "The dynamic of democracy is the power and the purpose of the individual, and the policy of this administration is to give to the individual the opportunity to realize his or her own highest possibilities."It's an ideal that helps guide us today. Through our workforce training initiatives, investments in research and development, and Pine Tree Economic Development Zones, we want to enhance the power of the private sector to create good jobs with good benefits.Between November 2006 and November 2007, Maine's economy created 4,400 new jobs despite slow growth in New England and nationally. Since 2003, Maine's economy has created more than 24,000 new jobs.Our incomes have grown.And we've empowered our people to become entrepreneurs.According to the Kauffman Foundation, Maine ranked in the top five in 2006 for people who, for the first time, started their own new businesses. This is the spirit of Maine.In November, voters approved a $55 million dollar investment that will help those entrepreneurs develop new ideas and bring them to the market.It's the kind of investment that turns good ideas into good jobs.This significant infusion of resources would not have been possible without Karen Mills and my Council on Jobs and Innovation, which she led.Karen, thank you very much for your leadership.Our people are strong, they are resilient and they should not be underestimated.Given the chance, they can achieve great things. I know it, I've seen it. There's evidence of it in every part of Maine.In Brewer, Cianbro Corporation will be creating hundreds of new manufacturing jobs.In Lincoln, Millinocket, East Millinocket and Old Town, mills threatened with extinction are alive and successful. People are back to work.In Belfast, athenahealth, an impressive company, has created 200 new jobs with more to come. Maine was able to beat out Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York to attract this company.When Maine learned that MBNA, a major employer in the State, was merging with Bank of America, there was a lot of pessimism and worry about the future.And for good reason. There was no secret that MBNA's workforce would be reduced and that facilities would be closed.Now, with athenahealth and other new companies, we have successfully put people back to work in former MBNA facilities in Farmington, Portland, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Rockland and now Belfast.The jobs that were lost will be grown back. And hope has replaced despair for those communities.We know we can do it.But we must redouble our efforts to spur economic development. We cannot be lulled into a posture that sees us only able to lurch from one crisis to the next.We must be prepared to stop trouble before it arrives at our doorstep. I've asked my economic development Commissioner John Richardson and Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors to work with the Legislature to change the way we do business for business.We can better serve Maine's business community with a local and regional emphasis and greater co-ordination and partnership.We need to move our economic development efforts away from Augusta and into the communities and regions where it can do the most good.The State's top economic development priority should be to provide them with the support, resources and vision to help them accomplish their goals.We all understand the Maine economy is in a time of dramatic, even historic, change. And we all understand that our future economic success will be built upon the foundation of our people and the special qualities that define our neighborhoods, towns and our state.People are drawn to Maine. We have what they're looking for and what's missing from their everyday lives.Look at tourism, one of the bedrocks of Maine's economy. Last year alone, almost 42 million people visited our State.They come for our natural beauty, our people and our vibrant historical and cultural sites. Last year, voters showed that they understand that. They approved significant investments in conservation and in our environment. Soon, that money will be put to work.Economic prosperity demands that we invest in our workforce, in our open landscapes, and in our historic downtowns.Even now, we cannot become so focused on today that we sacrifice the investments that will make us stronger tomorrow.When I visit places like Lewiston and Auburn, Biddeford and Saco and Waterville, I see the enormous potential for redevelopment. The Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville is a prime example of what is possible.Tom Niemann is here tonight. Thank you very much.That's why I am supporting an historic rehabilitation tax credit. For a modest investment, we can attract millions of dollars worth of growth, which will bring new jobs, new revenues, affordable housing and new life to our cities and towns. It's my goal that children start school ready to learn, and graduate from college ready and able to succeed here in Maine.Early childhood was the heart of my economic Summit held in November. More than 200 Maine business and community leaders came together to understand the positive economic returns from early childhood investments.I will continue to work with those Mainers to transform the Children's Cabinet Task Force on Early Childhood into a Children's Growth Council. We can propel the powerful momentum of the Summit into our communities. Through the power of community, we can create a legacy for our children. Not long ago, Maine lost one of our most generous and inspiring leaders - speaking of children - Harold Alfond, the man who built Dexter Shoe.It's impossible to estimate Harold's impact on Maine. He has touched so many lives and so many communities with his leadership and his philanthropy.Harold challenged us all to do more, to build partnerships and to overcome hurdles.Harold didn't go to college, but he recognized early on that the days of making a good living with just a high school diploma were disappearing.But Harold wasn't blind to life's hard realities. For some families, the promise of college is financially out of reach.With the Alfond College Challenge that he established, the dream is a little closer.The Challenge provides a $500 dollar education grant to every child born in Maine that will help them start a college savings account.It began last week in Augusta and will expand statewide in 2009. And no, you don't have to name your first child Harold.Working through the Finance Authority of Maine and in cooperation with Maine's hospitals, families in this State will have been given a head start on higher education.In his book, Harold wrote that he hoped to retire 10 years after he passed away. He was serious and Maine will be a much better place because of it.Harold's son, Bill Alfond, and his wife, is in the gallery tonight. Please stand and be recognized by the Chamber.Last year, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved Opportunity Maine, a tax credit program that will help students overcome college debt if they live and work in the State after graduation.With these tax credits, we will keep more of our home-grown graduates here, and open the door of opportunity for the next generation of Maine entrepreneurs and leaders.My friends, I am filled with hope. We are taking the steps necessary to grow our economy and improve the lives of the people of Maine.We are streamlining government and cutting administration.And we're controlling spending.We are investing in education and innovation so our children and families can succeed here in our state.We are helping increase incomes by creating good jobs with good benefits.That's the roadmap that gets Maine where it needs to be.This year, the Legislature will be called upon to take bold action, to protect the gains that have been made and to push forward on the reforms that will guide State government into the future.We must ask ourselves: What do we want State government to do? What is fundamental to the health and welfare of our people?We cannot be content with a legacy of work undone.We owe it to our children, and we owe it to our State.That is our task. That is our duty.God Bless you and God Bless the State of Maine. Thank you. Good night.
May 24 2013

Governor John E. Baldacci State of the State January 9, 2008 Madam President, Mr. Speaker, Madam Chief Justice, members of the Legislature, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens:We come together tonight as Maine stands on the verge of a new era.The choices we make in the coming days will help to define who we are as a State, and what we hope to become.I will not splash varnish on the hard truths before us.Home heating oil and gasoline prices are at record highs. Winter, just a few weeks old, has already shown its teeth.The national economy is struggling under the weight of declining home values.State revenues are not immune from the national condition and are falling short of expectations by $95 million dollars. We are forced to make hard decisions and set priorities. And we remain a country at war, with men and women called to duty in far-off and dangerous lands. Every word I have spoken is the inescapable truth. But there's more to Maine's story than those challenges we face.In the five years since I first addressed you as Governor, much has changed in Maine.Today I am proud to say that we are better prepared and more able to weather economic storms.You, my friends, have done much of the hard work. You have not only balanced budgets, and demanded efficiencies. You've also come together - often in a spirit of bipartisanship -- to solve problems.Five years ago, we faced a $1.2 billion dollar budget gap. Our financial reserves were gone.The State was borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars just to keep the lights on. Our credit rating was headed down.Those days are gone - hopefully banished forever.Today, we have rebuilt our reserves to almost $160 million dollars, and no longer take out payday loans to keep government open.We have closed that budget gap and by the end of next year we will have invested more than $1 billion new State dollars in local education.And we have done it all without raising the sales tax or income tax.I want to repeat that, because it's something the entire State should be proud of.We have invested more than $1 billion new dollars in local education, rebuilt our reserves and stopped short-term borrowing. Standard and Poor's has raised our financial rating.All without raising the sales or income tax.That, my friends, is an accomplishment.It has put us in a position of strength to deal with a fickle national economy.Tonight, standing before you and with full knowledge of the challenges we face, I report that the State of this State is strong and determined to meet the future head on.The revenue downturn we face in the two-year budget is a serious challenge that demands action.On Dec. 18, I issued an executive order that reduced State spending by $38 million dollars for the rest of this fiscal year.The Constitution of Maine requires the governor to ensure the State budget is balanced. Every part of State government was called upon to make recommendations on how to reduce spending while maintaining their core missions.I understand that these decisions touch real lives.The cuts were not easy, but we are moving forward in a way that makes sure that we can protect our most vulnerable citizens while also meeting my Constitutional duty. On that point, according to the Kaiser Foundation, Maine ranks first among the States in Medicaid spending for children, second in Medicaid spending for adults and fifth in Medicaid spending for the disabled.Overall, according to Kaiser, Maine spends more per Medicaid enrollee than any other State.So, tomorrow, when I unveil the details of my revisions to the two-year budget I can promise you this:We will not pull the safety net out from under our most vulnerable citizens.We will not take from our financial reserves to balance the budget.And we will not increase taxes.If we are to have the resources to invest in higher education, economic development and universal health care, we cannot continue to spend millions on systems built in the 1950s. We must transform government at all levels. We must strengthen it to meet the demands of a new age. And we must prioritize our spending.Government has an important role to play, but it cannot be all things to all people.At the same time, beware of quick fixes and people who promise gain without change. They sell a bill of goods layered in promises that cannot be kept.They say: You can have it all. The decisions aren't difficult.We all know that's not true. The decisions ARE difficult.We've made them and will continue to make them.Since taking office in 2003, we have reduced the rolls of State government by more than 600 jobs. We have merged two major State departments, eliminating a commissioner, deputy commissioners; And we have centralized back-office and administrative functions in all State departments. In just the first two years, that saved $11.5 million dollars.It's not the stuff of headlines. It's good government, and it's done.Last year, the Legislature passed a truly historic reform of local education.The new law reduces the number of school administrative units from 290 to 80.School administrative units: That's a mouth full. It sounds very government-like, very bureaucratic.That's because it is.And that's the problem. Since the early 80s, the number of students in Maine has declined by almost 40,000 and is expected to decline by 20,000 more in the next five years. During the same time, the number of school administrators has increased by 400. For 50 years, we have done the same old thing, the same old way, and it hasn't produced the excellence and results that we need.It's not sustainable and drains resources from students and teachers. Now we are on our way to a new structure that will better serve our people. It will save taxpayers money and provide a better education for our children. Legislation introduced this year and already approved by the Education Committee will further strengthen the new law.Even so, the fighting around it has not stopped.We cannot return to the dysfunction of the past. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt talked about the tendency of government to fall victim to inertia and to retreat from important gains when put under pressure by powerful special interests."Shall we pause now and turn our back upon the road that lies ahead?," he asked. "Shall we call this the promised land? Or, shall we continue on our way?"As President Roosevelt knew then and the people of Maine know today, progress and growth are in front of us, not in the past.As President Roosevelt said then, "We will carry on."In August, we began a conversation about the way we treat inmates in our prisons and county jails and about the financial hardships created by our current, fragmented system.It is bad for taxpayers and bad for mentally ill and drug-addicted prisoners who do not get the care they need to break the cycle of crime.It must change.Tomorrow I will submit legislation to unify the state prison system with the 15 county jail administrations.The plan has evolved from when we first began talking about it. We have listened to concerns from counties. And we have made changes to improve our plan.I would like to say tonight that all the differences between the counties and the State have been resolved. They haven't.But I can say that progress has been made. Sheriffs and commissioners have come a long way from the starting point, and so have we. I believe that common ground is still possible. And I believe a solution exists that will save taxpayer money and improve the treatment of the people in our care.President Lincoln wrote to Congress in 1862: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."You don't have to face the deepest crisis in the history of the Republic - as Lincoln did - to understand the necessity of thinking about old problems in new ways.We live in a complex world that requires government to carry an increasing load. Natural resource and environmental issues demand experts with broad experiences.In a time of declining revenues and increasing financial pressures in other areas of the budget, we can't continue funding silos that keep our experts separate and our attentions divided.It's been more than 30 years since we developed our approach to the stewardship of Maine's natural resources. In those three decades, the world has changed dramatically. There have been amazing advances in science and technology.And Maine's natural resource agencies haven't been allowed to keep up. The structure hasn't kept up pace with the changing times.Already, we've brought together those agencies' back-office staffs, accountants and IT experts. We created a single natural resource service center to do all those jobs that aren't part of the agencies core responsibilities.That's done. But we need to do more.In my budget, I will propose a process that will result in no more than two natural resources agencies, where today we have four. We will seek efficiencies and combine programs that shouldn't be separated by bureaucracies.I know that I don't have all the answers, but I do believe we can find them together.The merger process will seek input from those willing to come to the table.Our goal is to enhance the services provided to natural resource-based businesses; To increase outdoor recreation; And to improve natural resource management.We need to end the duplication in administration that stands in the way.Our efforts are not confined to a single area of government. We are looking at government at every level, and we're looking for improvement.Earlier this month, Maine selected a private company, Unisys Corporation, a nationally respected company, to fix a troubled part of the Department of Health and Human Services.For almost three years, we have struggled with a Medicaid computer system that has never lived up to expectations. It's caused countless headaches and heartaches for Maine businesses and created financial difficulties for the State.With this work, we will move on to a better way of doing business. I am also proposing a reorganization of the upper and middle management at Health and Human Services that will give my commissioner the flexibility she needs to run Maine's largest department. It will empower frontline workers, reduce from 10 to 6 the number of central offices in the agency and consolidate management at the regional level.To be successful, you must be able to adapt. We will give them that ability.But success also depends on innovation.Maine has led the country on health care reform, an innovation that matters to families and businesses alike.When the federal government passed a poorly designed Medicare drug benefit that actually hurt some senior citizens in our State, Maine stepped forward to ease the transition.When the federal government failed to deliver on affordable health care, Maine stepped forward.We will continue to step forward.In my budget, we will bring together three of the largest purchasers of health care in the State for a new initiative to save taxpayer money and provide better care to consumers.The Maine State Employees Health Commission, the University of Maine System and the Maine Education Association will join forces and put their enormous buying power to work to lower prescription drug costs.This cooperative effort will save money for thousands of workers who need medicine, for taxpayers whose dollars contribute to the system and it will increase the amount of money available to fund health care for retired teachers.More than 28,000 Mainers have been insured through our Dirigo Health program. We've extended coverage to more families and more small businesses, and we've done it in a way that has saved millions of dollars in health care spending.Last year, we were close to taking the next step with Dirigo. This year, we'll do it.I will support Legislative efforts to provide meaningful market reform that will make coverage more affordable for individuals.And I will work with the Legislature to find a new way to fund Dirigo that is less contentious and more sustainable.I believe health care is a fundamental and basic right. Every man, woman and child should be able to count on receiving the care they need when they need it.I am very pleased that the Dirigo Health Agency has contracted with a new partner, Harvard Pilgrim Health.Harvard Pilgrim is a nonprofit health plan that is consistently ranked No. 1 by consumers nationally. The company brings new and important competition to Maine's health care marketplace. I'm pleased to welcome Harvard Pilgrim to Maine, and I want to recognize in the gallery the company's CEO, Charlie Baker. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you.Charlie, I ask you to rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber. When I think about what matters most to me, and to the people I meet when I travel around the State, it's not the ins and outs of a particular policy. It's not the details that we will wring our hands over from now until April.What matters most is more basic. It's family and friends. Tonight, as I speak to you, Maine has 102 members of the National Guard deployed overseas.Soon, more men and women will be joining them.This month 130 members of the 126th Aviation Regiment from Bangor will go to Iraq for the second time. These men and women save lives by putting their own at risk; they fly into danger to rescue other soldiers.Another 16-person team of National Guard Soldiers will also leave this month for Afghanistan to train that country's military.They deserve our appreciation; they deserve our support. Please join me in saluting their service and sacrifice by recognizing Major Brian Veneziano, the commander of the 126th. Please rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber.These brave men and women want the same things as you and I: A good job with benefits, a college education for their kids, and to know that their families are nearby and secure.Family is the most important thing.Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey.You could not have a first lady more committed to Maine's children, to education and to the State. She is a tireless advocate for literacy, and promotes Maine wherever she goes. I'd like to ask Karen to stand and be recognized by the Chamber.My family's not that much different than a lot of others in Maine.We have our family discussions, agreements and disagreements.But I have never lost sight of what it means to work hard and still struggle to pay the bills.I have met countless men and women who play by the rules, go to work everyday and still can't seem to get ahead.In 1965, President Johnson understood the great divide in our country and spoke about it.He said: "In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty. In a land rich in harvest, children must not go hungry. In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die unattended."If President Johnson were speaking today and lived in Maine, I think he would have added at least one more line:In a land of technology, science and abundant natural resources, no family should go to bed wondering if their fuel oil will last until morning, worried that they will wake up cold.I know families and businesses are struggling with high energy costs.I have talked to the truck drivers and small business owners who are being pushed to the brink.And I have heard the call for help.We will answer that call. My administration began working on this problem when the weather was still warm and before oil topped out at $100 dollar a barrel.Working with the United Way, Eastern Maine Funders and the Maine Community Action Agencies, the Keep Maine Warm Fund has raised more than $1 million dollars to provide emergency fuel assistance.The effort is gaining momentum. I am pleased to announce tonight that LL Bean will be making a contribution of $250,000 to the Keep Maine Warm Fund, joining such organizations as Irving Oil, The Libra Foundation, The Fisher Foundation, Wright Express, Maine Bank and Trust, and TD Banknorth.I'd like to thank Leon Gorman, LL Bean's chairman, for his company's efforts. Please stand Leon, and accept the greetings of the Chamber.The Fund is an example of Mainers taking care of Mainers.I know not everyone is able, but I'd ask those of you who can to join the effort to Keep Maine Warm by making a charitable contribution to this very worthy cause.Working closely with Maine's Congressional Delegation, we will continue to put pressure on Washington to release funding for energy assistance. The money's there; and we need to put it to work.I have signed an executive order making it easier for companies to make small fuel deliveries to families in need.I have sought relief for truck drivers devastated by high diesel costs. During this session, I will submit legislation to help safeguard the forest products industry, which has been particularly hard hit and is so important to our rural economy.We are doing what we can for as many people as we can. And those efforts will not cease.For too long, our country and our state have been dependent on costly foreign oil. Eighty percent of Maine's homes are reliant on oil for heat. As prices have risen, we have sent billions of dollars out of state to pay for it. Money that otherwise would have remained with the families and businesses in Maine. We must move forward aggressively to heat our homes with resources we have or can make right here.We have made great strides in the development of wind energy. We cannot be shy about new projects. We will rewrite the rulebook to make wind power development easier without compromising our environment.Maine has tremendous potential for wind power. Already $2 billion worth of investments have been approved or are awaiting consideration. And an equal amount is being explored.Just last week a new project on Stetson Mountain won approval. We can harness the tremendous power of the wind and tides to power our industries and light our homes.And we are also working closely with Maine's Native American Tribes to support and promote alternative energy projects.The future rests within reach, and we must seize it.Tonight, I am announcing a "Wood-to-Energy Initiative" to bring Maine-made sources of heat to the homes and businesses of Maine. This partnership will bring together the public and private sectors to explore what is possible and what is practical. I have asked Maine entrepreneur Les Otten, who is here tonight, to bring together business leaders and our Department of Conservation to lead my Administration's efforts on a conversion initiative that will use our forests and natural resources to relieve consumption of nonrenewable oil. As a first step in this Initiative, my Administration will pursue a transition to biofuels such as wood pellets and wood chips. We will identify those state buildings where conversion to wood pellets, wind or other renewable sources of energy can reduce costs by 30 to 50 percent.This not only saves money for Maine taxpayers, it generates the investment and business activity to grow Maine's economy.The lessons learned from these demonstration projects will be made available to every home owner and business in Maine. As part of this Initiative, we will identify and promote the financial tools to enable Maine homeowners and small businesses to move away from their reliance on costly foreign oil. We can encourage the alternative energy industry in way that benefits Maine without disadvantaging existing businesses reliant on wood for other products. We are already working on a collaborative effort with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that will take stock in our natural resources and develop new technologies and new market opportunities.We should look to our Canadian neighbors for new partnerships that can reduce the cost of electricity in Maine and help us to better understand the energy potential of our forests.In this energy crisis, we will develop renewable sources of energy made in Maine, by Maine businesses for Maine people.I was still a young boy when President Kennedy was elected in 1960. My father served as a delegate for him at the national convention. Kennedy's words still hold power today.He said: "The dynamic of democracy is the power and the purpose of the individual, and the policy of this administration is to give to the individual the opportunity to realize his or her own highest possibilities."It's an ideal that helps guide us today. Through our workforce training initiatives, investments in research and development, and Pine Tree Economic Development Zones, we want to enhance the power of the private sector to create good jobs with good benefits.Between November 2006 and November 2007, Maine's economy created 4,400 new jobs despite slow growth in New England and nationally. Since 2003, Maine's economy has created more than 24,000 new jobs.Our incomes have grown.And we've empowered our people to become entrepreneurs.According to the Kauffman Foundation, Maine ranked in the top five in 2006 for people who, for the first time, started their own new businesses. This is the spirit of Maine.In November, voters approved a $55 million dollar investment that will help those entrepreneurs develop new ideas and bring them to the market.It's the kind of investment that turns good ideas into good jobs.This significant infusion of resources would not have been possible without Karen Mills and my Council on Jobs and Innovation, which she led.Karen, thank you very much for your leadership.Our people are strong, they are resilient and they should not be underestimated.Given the chance, they can achieve great things. I know it, I've seen it. There's evidence of it in every part of Maine.In Brewer, Cianbro Corporation will be creating hundreds of new manufacturing jobs.In Lincoln, Millinocket, East Millinocket and Old Town, mills threatened with extinction are alive and successful. People are back to work.In Belfast, athenahealth, an impressive company, has created 200 new jobs with more to come. Maine was able to beat out Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York to attract this company.When Maine learned that MBNA, a major employer in the State, was merging with Bank of America, there was a lot of pessimism and worry about the future.And for good reason. There was no secret that MBNA's workforce would be reduced and that facilities would be closed.Now, with athenahealth and other new companies, we have successfully put people back to work in former MBNA facilities in Farmington, Portland, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Rockland and now Belfast.The jobs that were lost will be grown back. And hope has replaced despair for those communities.We know we can do it.But we must redouble our efforts to spur economic development. We cannot be lulled into a posture that sees us only able to lurch from one crisis to the next.We must be prepared to stop trouble before it arrives at our doorstep. I've asked my economic development Commissioner John Richardson and Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors to work with the Legislature to change the way we do business for business.We can better serve Maine's business community with a local and regional emphasis and greater co-ordination and partnership.We need to move our economic development efforts away from Augusta and into the communities and regions where it can do the most good.The State's top economic development priority should be to provide them with the support, resources and vision to help them accomplish their goals.We all understand the Maine economy is in a time of dramatic, even historic, change. And we all understand that our future economic success will be built upon the foundation of our people and the special qualities that define our neighborhoods, towns and our state.People are drawn to Maine. We have what they're looking for and what's missing from their everyday lives.Look at tourism, one of the bedrocks of Maine's economy. Last year alone, almost 42 million people visited our State.They come for our natural beauty, our people and our vibrant historical and cultural sites. Last year, voters showed that they understand that. They approved significant investments in conservation and in our environment. Soon, that money will be put to work.Economic prosperity demands that we invest in our workforce, in our open landscapes, and in our historic downtowns.Even now, we cannot become so focused on today that we sacrifice the investments that will make us stronger tomorrow.When I visit places like Lewiston and Auburn, Biddeford and Saco and Waterville, I see the enormous potential for redevelopment. The Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville is a prime example of what is possible.Tom Niemann is here tonight. Thank you very much.That's why I am supporting an historic rehabilitation tax credit. For a modest investment, we can attract millions of dollars worth of growth, which will bring new jobs, new revenues, affordable housing and new life to our cities and towns. It's my goal that children start school ready to learn, and graduate from college ready and able to succeed here in Maine.Early childhood was the heart of my economic Summit held in November. More than 200 Maine business and community leaders came together to understand the positive economic returns from early childhood investments.I will continue to work with those Mainers to transform the Children's Cabinet Task Force on Early Childhood into a Children's Growth Council. We can propel the powerful momentum of the Summit into our communities. Through the power of community, we can create a legacy for our children. Not long ago, Maine lost one of our most generous and inspiring leaders - speaking of children - Harold Alfond, the man who built Dexter Shoe.It's impossible to estimate Harold's impact on Maine. He has touched so many lives and so many communities with his leadership and his philanthropy.Harold challenged us all to do more, to build partnerships and to overcome hurdles.Harold didn't go to college, but he recognized early on that the days of making a good living with just a high school diploma were disappearing.But Harold wasn't blind to life's hard realities. For some families, the promise of college is financially out of reach.With the Alfond College Challenge that he established, the dream is a little closer.The Challenge provides a $500 dollar education grant to every child born in Maine that will help them start a college savings account.It began last week in Augusta and will expand statewide in 2009. And no, you don't have to name your first child Harold.Working through the Finance Authority of Maine and in cooperation with Maine's hospitals, families in this State will have been given a head start on higher education.In his book, Harold wrote that he hoped to retire 10 years after he passed away. He was serious and Maine will be a much better place because of it.Harold's son, Bill Alfond, and his wife, is in the gallery tonight. Please stand and be recognized by the Chamber.Last year, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved Opportunity Maine, a tax credit program that will help students overcome college debt if they live and work in the State after graduation.With these tax credits, we will keep more of our home-grown graduates here, and open the door of opportunity for the next generation of Maine entrepreneurs and leaders.My friends, I am filled with hope. We are taking the steps necessary to grow our economy and improve the lives of the people of Maine.We are streamlining government and cutting administration.And we're controlling spending.We are investing in education and innovation so our children and families can succeed here in our state.We are helping increase incomes by creating good jobs with good benefits.That's the roadmap that gets Maine where it needs to be.This year, the Legislature will be called upon to take bold action, to protect the gains that have been made and to push forward on the reforms that will guide State government into the future.We must ask ourselves: What do we want State government to do? What is fundamental to the health and welfare of our people?We cannot be content with a legacy of work undone.We owe it to our children, and we owe it to our State.That is our task. That is our duty.God Bless you and God Bless the State of Maine. Thank you. Good night.
May 24 2013

Governor John E. Baldacci State of the State January 9, 2008 Madam President, Mr. Speaker, Madam Chief Justice, members of the Legislature, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens:We come together tonight as Maine stands on the verge of a new era.The choices we make in the coming days will help to define who we are as a State, and what we hope to become.I will not splash varnish on the hard truths before us.Home heating oil and gasoline prices are at record highs. Winter, just a few weeks old, has already shown its teeth.The national economy is struggling under the weight of declining home values.State revenues are not immune from the national condition and are falling short of expectations by $95 million dollars. We are forced to make hard decisions and set priorities. And we remain a country at war, with men and women called to duty in far-off and dangerous lands. Every word I have spoken is the inescapable truth. But there's more to Maine's story than those challenges we face.In the five years since I first addressed you as Governor, much has changed in Maine.Today I am proud to say that we are better prepared and more able to weather economic storms.You, my friends, have done much of the hard work. You have not only balanced budgets, and demanded efficiencies. You've also come together - often in a spirit of bipartisanship -- to solve problems.Five years ago, we faced a $1.2 billion dollar budget gap. Our financial reserves were gone.The State was borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars just to keep the lights on. Our credit rating was headed down.Those days are gone - hopefully banished forever.Today, we have rebuilt our reserves to almost $160 million dollars, and no longer take out payday loans to keep government open.We have closed that budget gap and by the end of next year we will have invested more than $1 billion new State dollars in local education.And we have done it all without raising the sales tax or income tax.I want to repeat that, because it's something the entire State should be proud of.We have invested more than $1 billion new dollars in local education, rebuilt our reserves and stopped short-term borrowing. Standard and Poor's has raised our financial rating.All without raising the sales or income tax.That, my friends, is an accomplishment.It has put us in a position of strength to deal with a fickle national economy.Tonight, standing before you and with full knowledge of the challenges we face, I report that the State of this State is strong and determined to meet the future head on.The revenue downturn we face in the two-year budget is a serious challenge that demands action.On Dec. 18, I issued an executive order that reduced State spending by $38 million dollars for the rest of this fiscal year.The Constitution of Maine requires the governor to ensure the State budget is balanced. Every part of State government was called upon to make recommendations on how to reduce spending while maintaining their core missions.I understand that these decisions touch real lives.The cuts were not easy, but we are moving forward in a way that makes sure that we can protect our most vulnerable citizens while also meeting my Constitutional duty. On that point, according to the Kaiser Foundation, Maine ranks first among the States in Medicaid spending for children, second in Medicaid spending for adults and fifth in Medicaid spending for the disabled.Overall, according to Kaiser, Maine spends more per Medicaid enrollee than any other State.So, tomorrow, when I unveil the details of my revisions to the two-year budget I can promise you this:We will not pull the safety net out from under our most vulnerable citizens.We will not take from our financial reserves to balance the budget.And we will not increase taxes.If we are to have the resources to invest in higher education, economic development and universal health care, we cannot continue to spend millions on systems built in the 1950s. We must transform government at all levels. We must strengthen it to meet the demands of a new age. And we must prioritize our spending.Government has an important role to play, but it cannot be all things to all people.At the same time, beware of quick fixes and people who promise gain without change. They sell a bill of goods layered in promises that cannot be kept.They say: You can have it all. The decisions aren't difficult.We all know that's not true. The decisions ARE difficult.We've made them and will continue to make them.Since taking office in 2003, we have reduced the rolls of State government by more than 600 jobs. We have merged two major State departments, eliminating a commissioner, deputy commissioners; And we have centralized back-office and administrative functions in all State departments. In just the first two years, that saved $11.5 million dollars.It's not the stuff of headlines. It's good government, and it's done.Last year, the Legislature passed a truly historic reform of local education.The new law reduces the number of school administrative units from 290 to 80.School administrative units: That's a mouth full. It sounds very government-like, very bureaucratic.That's because it is.And that's the problem. Since the early 80s, the number of students in Maine has declined by almost 40,000 and is expected to decline by 20,000 more in the next five years. During the same time, the number of school administrators has increased by 400. For 50 years, we have done the same old thing, the same old way, and it hasn't produced the excellence and results that we need.It's not sustainable and drains resources from students and teachers. Now we are on our way to a new structure that will better serve our people. It will save taxpayers money and provide a better education for our children. Legislation introduced this year and already approved by the Education Committee will further strengthen the new law.Even so, the fighting around it has not stopped.We cannot return to the dysfunction of the past. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt talked about the tendency of government to fall victim to inertia and to retreat from important gains when put under pressure by powerful special interests."Shall we pause now and turn our back upon the road that lies ahead?," he asked. "Shall we call this the promised land? Or, shall we continue on our way?"As President Roosevelt knew then and the people of Maine know today, progress and growth are in front of us, not in the past.As President Roosevelt said then, "We will carry on."In August, we began a conversation about the way we treat inmates in our prisons and county jails and about the financial hardships created by our current, fragmented system.It is bad for taxpayers and bad for mentally ill and drug-addicted prisoners who do not get the care they need to break the cycle of crime.It must change.Tomorrow I will submit legislation to unify the state prison system with the 15 county jail administrations.The plan has evolved from when we first began talking about it. We have listened to concerns from counties. And we have made changes to improve our plan.I would like to say tonight that all the differences between the counties and the State have been resolved. They haven't.But I can say that progress has been made. Sheriffs and commissioners have come a long way from the starting point, and so have we. I believe that common ground is still possible. And I believe a solution exists that will save taxpayer money and improve the treatment of the people in our care.President Lincoln wrote to Congress in 1862: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."You don't have to face the deepest crisis in the history of the Republic - as Lincoln did - to understand the necessity of thinking about old problems in new ways.We live in a complex world that requires government to carry an increasing load. Natural resource and environmental issues demand experts with broad experiences.In a time of declining revenues and increasing financial pressures in other areas of the budget, we can't continue funding silos that keep our experts separate and our attentions divided.It's been more than 30 years since we developed our approach to the stewardship of Maine's natural resources. In those three decades, the world has changed dramatically. There have been amazing advances in science and technology.And Maine's natural resource agencies haven't been allowed to keep up. The structure hasn't kept up pace with the changing times.Already, we've brought together those agencies' back-office staffs, accountants and IT experts. We created a single natural resource service center to do all those jobs that aren't part of the agencies core responsibilities.That's done. But we need to do more.In my budget, I will propose a process that will result in no more than two natural resources agencies, where today we have four. We will seek efficiencies and combine programs that shouldn't be separated by bureaucracies.I know that I don't have all the answers, but I do believe we can find them together.The merger process will seek input from those willing to come to the table.Our goal is to enhance the services provided to natural resource-based businesses; To increase outdoor recreation; And to improve natural resource management.We need to end the duplication in administration that stands in the way.Our efforts are not confined to a single area of government. We are looking at government at every level, and we're looking for improvement.Earlier this month, Maine selected a private company, Unisys Corporation, a nationally respected company, to fix a troubled part of the Department of Health and Human Services.For almost three years, we have struggled with a Medicaid computer system that has never lived up to expectations. It's caused countless headaches and heartaches for Maine businesses and created financial difficulties for the State.With this work, we will move on to a better way of doing business. I am also proposing a reorganization of the upper and middle management at Health and Human Services that will give my commissioner the flexibility she needs to run Maine's largest department. It will empower frontline workers, reduce from 10 to 6 the number of central offices in the agency and consolidate management at the regional level.To be successful, you must be able to adapt. We will give them that ability.But success also depends on innovation.Maine has led the country on health care reform, an innovation that matters to families and businesses alike.When the federal government passed a poorly designed Medicare drug benefit that actually hurt some senior citizens in our State, Maine stepped forward to ease the transition.When the federal government failed to deliver on affordable health care, Maine stepped forward.We will continue to step forward.In my budget, we will bring together three of the largest purchasers of health care in the State for a new initiative to save taxpayer money and provide better care to consumers.The Maine State Employees Health Commission, the University of Maine System and the Maine Education Association will join forces and put their enormous buying power to work to lower prescription drug costs.This cooperative effort will save money for thousands of workers who need medicine, for taxpayers whose dollars contribute to the system and it will increase the amount of money available to fund health care for retired teachers.More than 28,000 Mainers have been insured through our Dirigo Health program. We've extended coverage to more families and more small businesses, and we've done it in a way that has saved millions of dollars in health care spending.Last year, we were close to taking the next step with Dirigo. This year, we'll do it.I will support Legislative efforts to provide meaningful market reform that will make coverage more affordable for individuals.And I will work with the Legislature to find a new way to fund Dirigo that is less contentious and more sustainable.I believe health care is a fundamental and basic right. Every man, woman and child should be able to count on receiving the care they need when they need it.I am very pleased that the Dirigo Health Agency has contracted with a new partner, Harvard Pilgrim Health.Harvard Pilgrim is a nonprofit health plan that is consistently ranked No. 1 by consumers nationally. The company brings new and important competition to Maine's health care marketplace. I'm pleased to welcome Harvard Pilgrim to Maine, and I want to recognize in the gallery the company's CEO, Charlie Baker. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you.Charlie, I ask you to rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber. When I think about what matters most to me, and to the people I meet when I travel around the State, it's not the ins and outs of a particular policy. It's not the details that we will wring our hands over from now until April.What matters most is more basic. It's family and friends. Tonight, as I speak to you, Maine has 102 members of the National Guard deployed overseas.Soon, more men and women will be joining them.This month 130 members of the 126th Aviation Regiment from Bangor will go to Iraq for the second time. These men and women save lives by putting their own at risk; they fly into danger to rescue other soldiers.Another 16-person team of National Guard Soldiers will also leave this month for Afghanistan to train that country's military.They deserve our appreciation; they deserve our support. Please join me in saluting their service and sacrifice by recognizing Major Brian Veneziano, the commander of the 126th. Please rise and accept the greetings of the Chamber.These brave men and women want the same things as you and I: A good job with benefits, a college education for their kids, and to know that their families are nearby and secure.Family is the most important thing.Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey.You could not have a first lady more committed to Maine's children, to education and to the State. She is a tireless advocate for literacy, and promotes Maine wherever she goes. I'd like to ask Karen to stand and be recognized by the Chamber.My family's not that much different than a lot of others in Maine.We have our family discussions, agreements and disagreements.But I have never lost sight of what it means to work hard and still struggle to pay the bills.I have met countless men and women who play by the rules, go to work everyday and still can't seem to get ahead.In 1965, President Johnson understood the great divide in our country and spoke about it.He said: "In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty. In a land rich in harvest, children must not go hungry. In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die unattended."If President Johnson were speaking today and lived in Maine, I think he would have added at least one more line:In a land of technology, science and abundant natural resources, no family should go to bed wondering if their fuel oil will last until morning, worried that they will wake up cold.I know families and businesses are struggling with high energy costs.I have talked to the truck drivers and small business owners who are being pushed to the brink.And I have heard the call for help.We will answer that call. My administration began working on this problem when the weather was still warm and before oil topped out at $100 dollar a barrel.Working with the United Way, Eastern Maine Funders and the Maine Community Action Agencies, the Keep Maine Warm Fund has raised more than $1 million dollars to provide emergency fuel assistance.The effort is gaining momentum. I am pleased to announce tonight that LL Bean will be making a contribution of $250,000 to the Keep Maine Warm Fund, joining such organizations as Irving Oil, The Libra Foundation, The Fisher Foundation, Wright Express, Maine Bank and Trust, and TD Banknorth.I'd like to thank Leon Gorman, LL Bean's chairman, for his company's efforts. Please stand Leon, and accept the greetings of the Chamber.The Fund is an example of Mainers taking care of Mainers.I know not everyone is able, but I'd ask those of you who can to join the effort to Keep Maine Warm by making a charitable contribution to this very worthy cause.Working closely with Maine's Congressional Delegation, we will continue to put pressure on Washington to release funding for energy assistance. The money's there; and we need to put it to work.I have signed an executive order making it easier for companies to make small fuel deliveries to families in need.I have sought relief for truck drivers devastated by high diesel costs. During this session, I will submit legislation to help safeguard the forest products industry, which has been particularly hard hit and is so important to our rural economy.We are doing what we can for as many people as we can. And those efforts will not cease.For too long, our country and our state have been dependent on costly foreign oil. Eighty percent of Maine's homes are reliant on oil for heat. As prices have risen, we have sent billions of dollars out of state to pay for it. Money that otherwise would have remained with the families and businesses in Maine. We must move forward aggressively to heat our homes with resources we have or can make right here.We have made great strides in the development of wind energy. We cannot be shy about new projects. We will rewrite the rulebook to make wind power development easier without compromising our environment.Maine has tremendous potential for wind power. Already $2 billion worth of investments have been approved or are awaiting consideration. And an equal amount is being explored.Just last week a new project on Stetson Mountain won approval. We can harness the tremendous power of the wind and tides to power our industries and light our homes.And we are also working closely with Maine's Native American Tribes to support and promote alternative energy projects.The future rests within reach, and we must seize it.Tonight, I am announcing a "Wood-to-Energy Initiative" to bring Maine-made sources of heat to the homes and businesses of Maine. This partnership will bring together the public and private sectors to explore what is possible and what is practical. I have asked Maine entrepreneur Les Otten, who is here tonight, to bring together business leaders and our Department of Conservation to lead my Administration's efforts on a conversion initiative that will use our forests and natural resources to relieve consumption of nonrenewable oil. As a first step in this Initiative, my Administration will pursue a transition to biofuels such as wood pellets and wood chips. We will identify those state buildings where conversion to wood pellets, wind or other renewable sources of energy can reduce costs by 30 to 50 percent.This not only saves money for Maine taxpayers, it generates the investment and business activity to grow Maine's economy.The lessons learned from these demonstration projects will be made available to every home owner and business in Maine. As part of this Initiative, we will identify and promote the financial tools to enable Maine homeowners and small businesses to move away from their reliance on costly foreign oil. We can encourage the alternative energy industry in way that benefits Maine without disadvantaging existing businesses reliant on wood for other products. We are already working on a collaborative effort with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that will take stock in our natural resources and develop new technologies and new market opportunities.We should look to our Canadian neighbors for new partnerships that can reduce the cost of electricity in Maine and help us to better understand the energy potential of our forests.In this energy crisis, we will develop renewable sources of energy made in Maine, by Maine businesses for Maine people.I was still a young boy when President Kennedy was elected in 1960. My father served as a delegate for him at the national convention. Kennedy's words still hold power today.He said: "The dynamic of democracy is the power and the purpose of the individual, and the policy of this administration is to give to the individual the opportunity to realize his or her own highest possibilities."It's an ideal that helps guide us today. Through our workforce training initiatives, investments in research and development, and Pine Tree Economic Development Zones, we want to enhance the power of the private sector to create good jobs with good benefits.Between November 2006 and November 2007, Maine's economy created 4,400 new jobs despite slow growth in New England and nationally. Since 2003, Maine's economy has created more than 24,000 new jobs.Our incomes have grown.And we've empowered our people to become entrepreneurs.According to the Kauffman Foundation, Maine ranked in the top five in 2006 for people who, for the first time, started their own new businesses. This is the spirit of Maine.In November, voters approved a $55 million dollar investment that will help those entrepreneurs develop new ideas and bring them to the market.It's the kind of investment that turns good ideas into good jobs.This significant infusion of resources would not have been possible without Karen Mills and my Council on Jobs and Innovation, which she led.Karen, thank you very much for your leadership.Our people are strong, they are resilient and they should not be underestimated.Given the chance, they can achieve great things. I know it, I've seen it. There's evidence of it in every part of Maine.In Brewer, Cianbro Corporation will be creating hundreds of new manufacturing jobs.In Lincoln, Millinocket, East Millinocket and Old Town, mills threatened with extinction are alive and successful. People are back to work.In Belfast, athenahealth, an impressive company, has created 200 new jobs with more to come. Maine was able to beat out Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York to attract this company.When Maine learned that MBNA, a major employer in the State, was merging with Bank of America, there was a lot of pessimism and worry about the future.And for good reason. There was no secret that MBNA's workforce would be reduced and that facilities would be closed.Now, with athenahealth and other new companies, we have successfully put people back to work in former MBNA facilities in Farmington, Portland, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Rockland and now Belfast.The jobs that were lost will be grown back. And hope has replaced despair for those communities.We know we can do it.But we must redouble our efforts to spur economic development. We cannot be lulled into a posture that sees us only able to lurch from one crisis to the next.We must be prepared to stop trouble before it arrives at our doorstep. I've asked my economic development Commissioner John Richardson and Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors to work with the Legislature to change the way we do business for business.We can better serve Maine's business community with a local and regional emphasis and greater co-ordination and partnership.We need to move our economic development efforts away from Augusta and into the communities and regions where it can do the most good.The State's top economic development priority should be to provide them with the support, resources and vision to help them accomplish their goals.We all understand the Maine economy is in a time of dramatic, even historic, change. And we all understand that our future economic success will be built upon the foundation of our people and the special qualities that define our neighborhoods, towns and our state.People are drawn to Maine. We have what they're looking for and what's missing from their everyday lives.Look at tourism, one of the bedrocks of Maine's economy. Last year alone, almost 42 million people visited our State.They come for our natural beauty, our people and our vibrant historical and cultural sites. Last year, voters showed that they understand that. They approved significant investments in conservation and in our environment. Soon, that money will be put to work.Economic prosperity demands that we invest in our workforce, in our open landscapes, and in our historic downtowns.Even now, we cannot become so focused on today that we sacrifice the investments that will make us stronger tomorrow.When I visit places like Lewiston and Auburn, Biddeford and Saco and Waterville, I see the enormous potential for redevelopment. The Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville is a prime example of what is possible.Tom Niemann is here tonight. Thank you very much.That's why I am supporting an historic rehabilitation tax credit. For a modest investment, we can attract millions of dollars worth of growth, which will bring new jobs, new revenues, affordable housing and new life to our cities and towns. It's my goal that children start school ready to learn, and graduate from college ready and able to succeed here in Maine.Early childhood was the heart of my economic Summit held in November. More than 200 Maine business and community leaders came together to understand the positive economic returns from early childhood investments.I will continue to work with those Mainers to transform the Children's Cabinet Task Force on Early Childhood into a Children's Growth Council. We can propel the powerful momentum of the Summit into our communities. Through the power of community, we can create a legacy for our children. Not long ago, Maine lost one of our most generous and inspiring leaders - speaking of children - Harold Alfond, the man who built Dexter Shoe.It's impossible to estimate Harold's impact on Maine. He has touched so many lives and so many communities with his leadership and his philanthropy.Harold challenged us all to do more, to build partnerships and to overcome hurdles.Harold didn't go to college, but he recognized early on that the days of making a good living with just a high school diploma were disappearing.But Harold wasn't blind to life's hard realities. For some families, the promise of college is financially out of reach.With the Alfond College Challenge that he established, the dream is a little closer.The Challenge provides a $500 dollar education grant to every child born in Maine that will help them start a college savings account.It began last week in Augusta and will expand statewide in 2009. And no, you don't have to name your first child Harold.Working through the Finance Authority of Maine and in cooperation with Maine's hospitals, families in this State will have been given a head start on higher education.In his book, Harold wrote that he hoped to retire 10 years after he passed away. He was serious and Maine will be a much better place because of it.Harold's son, Bill Alfond, and his wife, is in the gallery tonight. Please stand and be recognized by the Chamber.Last year, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved Opportunity Maine, a tax credit program that will help students overcome college debt if they live and work in the State after graduation.With these tax credits, we will keep more of our home-grown graduates here, and open the door of opportunity for the next generation of Maine entrepreneurs and leaders.My friends, I am filled with hope. We are taking the steps necessary to grow our economy and improve the lives of the people of Maine.We are streamlining government and cutting administration.And we're controlling spending.We are investing in education and innovation so our children and families can succeed here in our state.We are helping increase incomes by creating good jobs with good benefits.That's the roadmap that gets Maine where it needs to be.This year, the Legislature will be called upon to take bold action, to protect the gains that have been made and to push forward on the reforms that will guide State government into the future.We must ask ourselves: What do we want State government to do? What is fundamental to the health and welfare of our people?We cannot be content with a legacy of work undone.We owe it to our children, and we owe it to our State.That is our task. That is our duty.God Bless you and God Bless the State of Maine. Thank you. Good night.
May 24 2013

The nationally ranked Stony Brook University women’s lacrosse team will be the keynote speakers at next month’s annual anti-drugs march in Riverhead. The 28th annual Say No to Drugs March, sponsored by the Riverhead Community Awareness Program June 7, will begin at Pulaski Street School before looping back around through Roanoke, Griffing and Hallett Avenues. The [...]
May 24 2013

General Date:  Wed, Jun 5th, 2013 7:30pm Location:  Town Hall Board Room, 363 Underhill Avenue, Yorktown Heights
May 24 2013

Hallets Point, home to the NYCHA Astoria Houses on the Astoria waterfront, is one step closer to getting thousands of residential apartments, retail space and parkland. On Tuesday, Community Board 1 voted unanimously to approve the plan by Lincoln Equities Group to bring 11 buildings to the area. The developer is applying for zoning changes in [...]
May 24 2013

(Canastota, NY – May 2013) The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced hard punching 1970s heavyweight contender Earnie Shavers will attend the Banquet of Champions on Saturday, June 8. The banquet is part of festivities planned for the 24th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend set for June 6 to 9. “Earnie Shavers played a [...]
May 24 2013

(Cazenovia, NY – May 2013) The Cazenovia College Art Gallery in Reisman Hallwill host the Pastel Artists of Central New York Exhibition, Saturday, June 8 through Sunday, Aug. 4. The exhibition will be open Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. A few of the more than [...]
May 24 2013

Mike LaNassa (left) is pictured with Senator David Valesky. (Albany, NY – May 22, 2013) -Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) announced the induction of Mike LaNassa into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame in honor of his service to the nation and his efforts to establish numerous veterans projects and memorials [...]
May 24 2013

Staff Sergeant William R. 'Billy' Wilson III has been posthumously honored by the New York State Veterans' Hall of Fame.
May 24 2013

[Appeal Record Returned] (<a href="https://ecf.nyed.uscourts.gov/doc1/12318587681?caseid=280145&de_seq_num=80" >26</a>)
May 24 2013

Carole L. O'Rourke KINGSTON- Carole L. O'Rourke, 70 of Golden Hill Drive died Thursday May 23, 2013 at HealthAlliance Hospital Broadway Campus after...
May 24 2013

Type: bk Office: 6 Chapter: 7 [Amended Voluntary Petition] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012449662?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=17&caseid=337943'>4</a>)
May 24 2013

TROY — Two of the city’s finest will be promoted during a ceremony in City Hall this morning, according to a department announcement.
May 24 2013

James Haggerty, of Valatie, has been honored before for his help to veterans. He earned the Presidential Unit Citation for his service with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War. He co-founded an or
May 24 2013

Kiersten Downs, originally of Montrose, Pennsylvania, has been spent the last two years planning for the biggest challenge of her life. "It's something I've always wanted to do," said Downs. On June 1st, Downs will put her foot to her bicycle and ride 3,800 miles from San Francisco and ending in Washington D.C. in early August. "I figured.. hmm, how can I figure out a way to combine all three of my passions," said Downs. Those passions, biking, higher education, and advocating for veterans. But, she's not doing this just to take in the scenery. Downs is riding for the national non-profit organization, Student Veterans of America. It's a group she got involved with at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL where Downs is currently a doctoral student. "This is just a way to advocate and to draw awareness to some of the challenges students veterans can face as they transition from the military to a university setting," said Downs. Downs served in the military for seven years. She served four years of active duty in the United States Air Force, and served in Iraq for the Air National Guard while pursuing her bachelor's degree in Political Science from Binghamton University. "When I transitioned to college, it was tough. I graduated in 2008, I was deployed mid-semester 2006-2007 to Iraq, and during that time we didn't have the support services on campus that student veterans really need. So a lot of this stems from my own personal experiences," said Downs. "We feel that our veterans have gone the distance for their country over the last 10 years, and now Kiersten is going to go the distance for them to support student veterans of America," said Downs' father, Chris Downs. Downs won't be alone on her journey across America. Her mother and father will be by her side every mile in their brand new camper. Her mother, Cornelia, a registered nurse, couldn't be more proud of her little girl. They currently reside in Endicott. "She's always been compelled to give back, and she's had some dreams and it's finally coming true," said Cornelia Downs. Downs will also be linking up with other student veterans along the way. Even national television networks have caught wind of Downs' story. She's made an appearance on mtv-U. MTV's college station will be documenting Downs' journey for one of their shows. The national attention has helped Downs come very close to her goal of raising $50,000 for the Student Veterans of America organization, but she still has a little ways to go. If you would like to know about Downs' story and donate, visit the website linked to this story.
May 23 2013

VESTAL -- From home room to the board room. Could the next great business idea come from a high school student? Teams from ten local schools participated in the Greater Binghamton Scholastic Challenge at Binghamton University. Ideas ranged from food services to entertainment to health and technology. Teams pitched their ideas in front of judges. One team, the Mobile Knight Cafe from Windsor won for best team presentation in food services. "There's a lot of work in running a business, and starting one up. A lot of work," said Allen Stout of the Mobile Knight Cafe. One school that stood out? Johnson City, which had teams win for best team presentation, best idea, and best trade booth.
May 23 2013

A Binghamton University student accused of stabbing his own father on the college campus has been indicted by a grand jury. 20 year old Min Kwan Park is charged with first degree assault. Authorities say Park used a knife in an intentional act to injure his 41 year old father, Seok Sang Park, in December of last year. The stabbing happened in one of the University's residence halls.
May 23 2013

BINGHAMTON -- The 2012-2013 season for the Binghamton Philharmonic is over, as they break for the summer. Tuesday at the Binghamton Rotary meeting, Heidi Kelley, the Philharmonic's new Executive Director, talked about the exciting season to come. She also outlined her plans to help bring more musical influence into the community. "We really need to work on education," Kelley said. "We have a very limited education program and so we'd really like to start getting music into the schools. I know that's a challenge everywhere, not just here, but arts in the schools are depleting so we'd like to fill that niche if we can." The 2013-14 season will see the return of the Pops Christmas Show, as well as four visiting musicians including a cello prodigy.
May 23 2013

Emergency crews responding to a possible house fire in Cortland on Wednesday came across a different scene entirely, an active meth lab. The Cortland Fire Department and Police Department responded to 34 Union Street where they found smoke coming from a second story window. When they entered the home, they found the ingredients needed to make methamphetamine and a live methamphetamine cook inside the closet. As a result of the investigation, 28 year old Matthew Stone, 22 year old Savannah Webster and 30 year old Joshua Marshall are all facing felony charges for the unlawful manufacture of the drug. The investigation is ongoing and they are waiting their arraignment.
May 23 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - County sheriffs have asked to join the federal lawsuit challenging New York's tough new gun restrictions, calling some provisions vague and impossible to enforce fairly.
May 23 2013

TOWN OF MONTGOMERY PLANNING BOARD NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Planning Board of the Town of Montgomery will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 7:30 P.M. at the Town Hall, Second Floor, 110 Bracken Road, Montgomery, New York 12549. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The purpose of this special meeting is to review the application of United Natural Foods Inc. and for any other business that may come before the Board. Dated:&nbsp;&nbsp; May 17, 2013 BY ORDER OF THE PLANNING&nbsp;BOARD OF THE TOWN OF&nbsp;&nbsp;MONTGOMERY FRED REICHLE, Chairman Notice of Combined Public Hearing - Click Here DSEIS Notice of Completeness - Click Here
May 23 2013

It&#39;s been 24 hours since the deadly tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma and Jessica Crosier tells us she still hasn&#39;t heard from her grandparents.
May 23 2013

[Status Report] (<a href="https://ecf.nyed.uscourts.gov/doc1/12318583787?caseid=261226&de_seq_num=474" >172</a>)
May 23 2013

PV Weekend Meeting Monday, June 3rd at 7 pm, at the Town Hall. All organizations and businesses are welcome to attend.
May 23 2013

Pleasant Valley Rotary Club Wiffle Ball Tournament! Win Trophies! Help Raise Funds for the Pleasant Valley Rotary Club Join us June 1st, at 10:00 A.M. at Cady Field (behind Town Hall) for some low-stress fun with no running! Register as a single or as a team; registration is $25/person and includes a T-shirt. Four-person teams;
May 23 2013

MAYVILLE - It was the worst public relations nightmare the city of Jamestown and Chautauqua County could have imagined. Print and television media swarmed the Hall R.
May 23 2013

The Fenton History Center will be celebrating 50 years in Jamestown this year, beginning with the grand opening of the recently renovated Hall House research center. The grand opening, which is free to the public, will run from 5-7 p.m. Friday.
May 23 2013

Type: bk Office: 1 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Celli, Andrea E. [Letter Withdrawing/Settling] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012444627?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=337&caseid=325374'>82</a>)
May 23 2013

Type: bk Office: 8 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Mendelsohn, Allan B [Compensation] (<a href='https://ecf.nyeb.uscourts.gov/doc1/122015750616?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=148&caseid=353915'>41</a>)
May 23 2013

The season couldn&rsquo;t have gotten off to a better start than it did with the Superhero Quest on Sunday in downtown Buffalo. The &ldquo;Amazing Race&rdquo;-style challenge took us about three and a half hours to complete, although we chose to do all 20 challenges rather than the abbreviated 13, which was also an option.read more
May 23 2013

thurs. 23 With music that&rsquo;s heavy on the reggae with touches of ska, hip-hop, electronic and funk, John Brown&rsquo;s Body will take the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at The Tralf, 622 Main St., Buffalo; $. 852-2860, www.tralfmusichall.com fri. 24 read more
May 23 2013

Type: bk Office: 1 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Christophersen, Wendy J. [Close Bankruptcy Case]
May 23 2013

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF
May 23 2013

WHITEHALL -- Paul Frank Wager, 64, passed away Monday, May 20, 2013, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with his family by his side after a courageous battle with mantle cell lymphoma. Duri…
May 22 2013

TOWN OF NIAGARA – Two appointed officials will be leaving their jobs – one by resignation, the other removed by Town Supervisor Steven C. Richards.Near the end of a spirited Town Board meeting Tuesday in which board members were criticizing one another, calling for executive sessions, and arguing over resolutions, Richards went over to Councilman Charles F. Teixeira on the dais and asked to meet with him privately.When Teixeira refused, Richards said he would fire him as police commissioner, a position that he appoints.Moments before, Teixeira admonished Richards and Town Attorney Michael B. Risman for failing to call for an executive session at the May 16 work session to discuss an investigation into members of Niagara Active Hose Volunteer Fire Company who are collecting workers’ compensation from the town.Teixeira said that because the matter was discussed in open session, the names and compensation details of the individuals were later reported in local newspapers. As a result, the investigation into the town’s high compensation costs was exposed and became ineffective, he said.Teixeira said the matter became “a waste of money” and “could have been handled better in executive session.” He said that he was disappointed in Richards and Risman for not discussing the matter behind closed doors. He later explained that because the discussion involved personnel matters and medical issues, it should have been done privately.During the meeting, Richards said he was firing Teixeira from the $3,500-a-year appointment because the Police Department was $126,000 over budget for 2012. Teixeira said that as commissioner, he sees the budget but is not responsible for its formulation or content.The original investigation involved the cost of compensation that the town pays every year, estimated at $330,000. The town has to pay the actual medical bills because it cannot find insurance coverage. Most municipalities pay significantly lower premiums for coverage, it was noted.The other departure was that of Susan E. Kotlarz, parks director and recreation head, who said she submitted her resignation Tuesday. Richards said he has not received the resignation.Kotlarz, who has been in charge of the parks for 10 years and of recreation for about a year, would not comment on her resignation except to say that it was for “personal reasons.”However, during the public comment section early in the meeting, a resident chastised board members for bickering with one another other and causing Kotlarz to leave.“When is this going to stop?” Catherine Hall of Pretoria Street, asked the board. “Do you know how we look?”She said the board was getting rid of Kotlarz because the councilmen “want somebody else in that job.” She said many residents, including herself, go to the recreation center “because of her.” She called Kotlarz “the heart and soul” of the department.Richards agreed with the woman about the discord and said that it was becoming “like the old days” with “pettiness and accusations.”Councilman Robert A. Clark, who is frequently at odds with Richards, said that he was “not happy with the way any of us acted” and that the board needed to have “a big sit-down” to resolve differences.
May 22 2013

NIAGARA FALLS – The incumbents that will be replaced this summer on the city School Board will together have spent more than 50 years serving on the board.That’s a fact not lost on Board Member-elect Ronald J. Barstys.“If I could serve for half those years, I would be happy to do so,” Barstys said Wednesday.Barstys, the director of student services in the North Tonawanda School District, and Anthony F. Paretto, a city electrician, won the six-way race for two open seats in Tuesday’s election.They defeated incumbents Don J. King, who had been on the board for more than three decades, and Kevin Dobbs, who joined the board in 1997. Herbert L. Lewis and Michael S. Gawel also ran.Barstys said the service of King and Dobbs “should not be overlooked.”Barstys, who has master’s degrees in science education and school district administration, said the climate of education has changed a lot in the last five years.“People realize that if you’re not in it to some degree, it’s hard to keep pace with those changes,” said Barstys, 40.His wife is an English teacher at Niagara Falls High School.Paretto has worked for the city for seven years, and has been an electrician since 1991. He said he believed all the challengers faced a tall order in trying to unseat two incumbents.“I thought I had good support going into Election Day, but I was actually overwhelmed,” said Paretto, 46.Paretto, who said he believes voters “just wanted a change,” said he also believes going door to door to the homes of voters helped a lot.He also said he was thankful for the support he received, including from many local unions. He was endorsed by the Niagara Falls Teachers Union.In the final tally, Paretto received 1,079 votes; Barstys, 957; Dobbs, 883; King, 718; Lewis, 482; Gawel, 344; and 11 write-in votes were cast. The School Board adopted the official results of the budget vote and election on Wednesday night.The two new members are scheduled to take their oaths of office on July 2.email: abesecker@buffnews.com
May 22 2013

A Special Town Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 11:30 am at Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead to take up time sensitive resolutions...
May 22 2013

In observance of Memorial Day (Monday, May 27), the following services will be closed or suspended: City Hall: Closed Transfer Station: Closed Bus Service: Suspended – Resumes Tuesday morning (May 28) Sanitation: No Pickup on Monday. Monday route pickup will … Continue reading →
May 22 2013

(Verona, NY – May 20, 2013) Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter and four-time PGA TOUR winner Notah Begay III announced the format and field for the sixth annual Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation Challenge, an annual fundraising event supporting the NB3 Foundation’s mission to raise awareness and funding for the improved health and wellness of [...]
May 22 2013

When: Thursday May 30, 2013 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Event Location: Town Hall Event Description: @ Town Hall
May 22 2013

When: Monday May 27, 2013 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Event Description: Town Hall Closed due to Memorial Day Holiday
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 2 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Gordon, Kenneth W. [Meeting of Creditors 7 (No Asset)] (<a href='https://ecf.nywb.uscourts.gov/doc1/128012004663?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=17&caseid=268748'>5</a>)
May 22 2013

Lackawanna City Hall is closed for the remainder of the day Tuesday, because of plumbing problems.
May 22 2013

There were some tense moments at Lancaster High School Wednesday morning, when a female student went into cardiac arrest while in the hallway of the school.
May 22 2013

(Canastota, NY – May 2013) The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced former heavyweight champion James “Buster” Douglas will return to Canastota for the 24th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend festivities, June 6-9th. “Buster Douglas authored one of the biggest upsets in boxing history to become heavyweight champion of the world,” said Hall of [...]
May 22 2013

ALBANY — A Clifton Park man is among this year’s inductees to the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
May 22 2013

On the first truly muggy day of the year and no air-conditioning at Town Hall, it’s appropriate the discussion got heated. Two members chose Tuesday’s Town Board work session to accuse each other of rudeness, incivility, personal attacks and lying. Tension between Councilman Paul Shepherd and Supervisor Jim Dougherty simmered throughout the long meeting, boiling [...]
May 22 2013

Space is still available for businesses to reserve recruitment tables
May 22 2013

An MS-13 gang member was sentenced Wednesday to 33 years to life in prison for bashing one man's head in with a metal pipe and injuring two other men outside a Brentwood pool hall in 2011.
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 2 Chapter: 7 [Chapter 7 Means Test] (<a href='https://ecf.nywb.uscourts.gov/doc1/128012004163?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=13&caseid=268748'>4</a>)
May 22 2013

[Judgment - Clerk] (<a href="https://ecf.nyed.uscourts.gov/doc1/12318578846?caseid=332842&de_seq_num=135" >38</a>)
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 6 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Hughes-Trustee, Thomas Paul [Meeting of Creditors 7 (No Asset)] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012441871?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=21&caseid=337868'>5</a>)
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 1 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Celli-Trustee, Andrea E. [Meeting of Creditors 13] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012441847?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=21&caseid=337860'>5</a>)
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 1 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Celli, Andrea E. [Hearing Not Held]
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 6 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Swimelar, Mark W. [Certificate of Service] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012441454?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=152&caseid=287656'>36</a>)
May 22 2013

Marlboro Central School District school officials will decide whether to adopt a contingency budget, or put another one up for vote after voters overwhelmingly rejected a $50.4 million spending plan Tuesday. The budget that would have decreased spending 4.75 percent compared to the current year, but would have raised tax rates by nearly 15 percent. The final vote was 1,266 against, and just 734 in favor, according to official results posted on the district's website. Marlboro school Superintendent Ray Castellani said the board will meet soon to decide next steps. "We'll know more (today)," he said. Voters also selected two candidates to the school board who campaigned for change and spent Tuesday under a tent outside the polling site at Marlboro Elementary School. Bill Bell received 1,196 votes and Russell Conley received 944, to finish ahead of incumbents Kenneth Brooks (457), James Sullivan (432) and challenger David Conn (777).
May 22 2013

A partial list of civil and criminal proceedings taking place at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouses.
May 22 2013

Type: bk Office: 6 Chapter: 7 [none]
May 22 2013

City Hall Campus is now Smoke-Free
May 22 2013

The Village of Wappingers Falls is located in the County of Dutchess, Town of Wappinger (2/3) &amp; Town of Poughkeepsie (1/3). This small village of about 5000 is located between the Newburgh-Beacon and Mid-Hudson Bridges just east of the Hudson River. Easily accessible from US Highway 9 and State Route 9D. Village government offices are located in 5 buildings: Village HallThis is the main building where most village administration is done. Offices of Mayor Clerk, Treasurer, Board of Trustees, &amp; Sanitation.  Address: 2628 South Avenue, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Police DepartmentIs in the rear of the Village Hall building through a separate entrance. Water DepartmentThe Water Department is now located at the Village Hall. American LegionOffices of Building, Planning, Zoning, and Code Enforcement are located at the American Legion building.  Most village meetings occur here also. Address: 7 Spring Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Justice CourtAll traffic, civil, and criminal matters. Address: 7 Mill Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Municipal GaragePublic Works and Sewer Department. Address: 105 Market Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
May 22 2013

The Village of Wappingers Falls is located in the County of Dutchess, Town of Wappinger (2/3) &amp; Town of Poughkeepsie (1/3). This small village of about 5000 is located between the Newburgh-Beacon and Mid-Hudson Bridges just east of the Hudson River. Easily accessible from US Highway 9 and State Route 9D. Village government offices are located in 5 buildings: Village HallThis is the main building where most village administration is done. Offices of Mayor Clerk, Treasurer, Board of Trustees, &amp; Sanitation.  Address: 2628 South Avenue, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Police DepartmentIs in the rear of the Village Hall building through a separate entrance. Water DepartmentThe Water Department is now located at the Village Hall. American LegionOffices of Building, Planning, Zoning, and Code Enforcement are located at the American Legion building.  Most village meetings occur here also. Address: 7 Spring Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Justice CourtAll traffic, civil, and criminal matters. Address: 7 Mill Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Municipal GaragePublic Works and Sewer Department. Address: 105 Market Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
May 22 2013

Marlboro Central School District voters overwhelmingly rejected a $50.4 million budget that would have decreased spending 4.75 percent compared to the current year, but would have raised tax rates by nearly 15 percent. The final vote was 1,266 against, and just 734 in favor. All results are unofficial. Marlboro school Superintendent Ray Castellani said the board would meet immediately after the vote to decide whether to move forward with a contingency budget. He said later the board did not vote on whether to go ahead with a contingency budget, and that another meeting will be scheduled either this week or next. "We'll know more tomorrow," he said. Voters also selected two candidates to the school board who campaigned for change and spent Tuesday under a tent outside the polling site at Marlboro Elementary School. Bill Bell received 1,196 votes and Russell Conley received 944, to finish ahead of incumbents Kenneth Brooks (457), James Sullivan (432) and challenger David Conn (777).
May 21 2013

New York Times: 'The wheels of justice move slowly sometimes, but not, apparently, as slowly as Webster's New World Dictionary. Slang has always been a challenge for the courts in cases that involve vulgar or insulting language.'
May 21 2013

TUPPER LAKE - The groups challenging the Adirondack Club and Resort are claiming a small victory with the most recent decision from state Supreme Court judges, which might give them more time and developers more dela.
May 21 2013

Town Clerk Date:&nbsp; Tue, May 21st, 2013 7:30pm Location:&nbsp; Town Hall Board Room FINAL TOWN BOARD AGENDA TOWN OF YORKTOWN May 21, 2013 PLACE: TOWN HALL 7:30pm 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. MOMENT OF SILENCE 3. REPORT FROM SUPERVISOR MICHAEL GRACE 4. REPORTS FROM TOWN BOARD MEMBERS 5. RESOLUTIONS FROM THE MEETING OF 05/07/2013 6. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS &bull; Proposed Local Law amending Chapter 15, entitled &ldquo;Buildingread more
May 21 2013

Town Clerk Date:&nbsp; Tue, May 28th, 2013 7:00pm Location:&nbsp; Town Hall Board Room
May 21 2013

Type: bk Office: 2 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Reiber, George M. [Close Bankruptcy Case]
May 21 2013

Type: bk Office: 4 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Sapir-13, Jeffrey L. [Notice of Mortgage Payment Change (Rule 3002.1)] (<a href='https://ecf.nysb.uscourts.gov/doc1/126013517185?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=171&caseid=211922'>doc</a>)
May 21 2013

Alden Supervisor Harry Milligan announced at the Town Board meeting Monday night that New York State had recently told the town that its workers’ compensation rates would increase significantly – around $30,000 per year.But Alden fought back.“The state just wanted to jack up our rates,” Milligan said. “They were giving us what we thought was false information on the population of each fire district.”Milligan said his secretary spotted the problem with the state’s population numbers and resolved the town should not institute what she thought was an unfair and far-too-costly policy.“My secretary lost sleep over that for quite a while,” Milligan said. “She said, ‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ and we didn’t, and [the state] came back and said, ‘You were right.’”In the end, Alden’s workers’ compensation rates will not be increasing.It took just 15 minutes Monday for the Town Board to complete its 13-item agenda. The meeting’s most expensive resolution came in the approval of a $4,076 purchase for materials to construct a new shelter at the town park. Milligan said the last structure was knocked down four years ago, and because the park is used constantly, it’s a big deal to the town to have it replaced.Also at the meeting:• The board approved a four-week rental of one six-ton wheeled dumper for $3,500.• The voting members – Milligan, Councilwoman Mary Riddoch and Councilman William Weber – approved the appointments of Angelo Daluisio to Alden’s Zoning Board of Appeals and Joy Insinna to become secretary of the town’s Board of Assessment Review.• Milligan reported that last summer’s purchase of 55-gallon recycling bins for each residence has saved the town a lot of money on garbage disposal. He also said the town is in the process of instituting a billboard on Walden Avenue near Genesee Street that poses and answers the question: ‘What’s happening in Alden?’ The sign will include a rundown of community events that will occur in the town in the coming weeks.“We’ve got stuff going on, and a lot of times, nobody knows it,” Milligan said.The next Alden Town Board meeting takes place June 3 at 7 p.m. inside Alden Town Hall.
May 20 2013

The East Aurora Village Board voted unanimously Monday to go forward with a plan for a new $6.1 million firehouse that has signature East Aurora design elements – gabled roofs, panels of square windows and a stone façade.“I think it’s aesthetically what we need,” said Trustee Libby Weberg, who served on the Fire Hall Committee. “And I’m happy.”Before the vote at Monday night’s meeting, Planning Board Chairman Daniel Castle went over the details of the design and planning. The officials worked to find a look that paid tribute to the village’s distinctive architecture but didn’t overwhelm, said Castle, who is also chairman of the Fire Hall Committee.They didn’t want an imitation of the Roycroft campus, a “Fisher-Pricey” nod to the famous local toy company or “cutesy-poo,” he said.“We all have cutesy-poo gift shops,” he said. The new firehouse, which the village had hoped to start building in the fall, could face delay. A study that probed 125 feet into the soil found clay but not the desired bedrock to go beneath the 28,000-square-foot building to be built at 33 Center St. A second study will double-check the findings. If necessary the building site will be prepared with fill, which will be left over the winter to compress the clay. By spring the clay should be firm enough for construction, Castle said.The new fire hall will replace the old 1960s-era building on Oakwood Avenue, which does not have space needed for larger modern trucks.Also, tall trees around the Center Street property will be preserved, leaving a green buffer and softened street views, another design element that pleased committee members. “You can really not see much of the fire hall at all,” Castle said, showing a photo rendering of how the trees looked more dominant than the building from some angles.Also at the meeting, the board approved the building of a new dentist office at 390 Main St., with an additional requirement that a speed bump, or some other speed-reducing element, be included in the driveway where cars pull in and out.The owner of University Pediatric Dentistry practice, with a staff of five now at 100 Riley St., intends to start construction as soon as possible and open in the new building in September with a staff of 15.email: mkearns@buffnews.com
May 20 2013

Lackawanna police officers will get a 2.75 percent raise this year and in 2014 and 3 percent raises in 2015 and 2016, under the terms of a new contract approved Monday by the City Council.The deal also includes retroactive pay raises of 2 percent for each of the last four years.The back pay for the 46 members of the Lackawanna Police Benevolent Association is expected to cost taxpayers about $700,000. Back pay also will be awarded to officers who were on the force Aug. 1, 2009, and have since retired.Aug. 1, 2009, was the start of a memorandum of understanding between city and police extending the terms of a collective-bargaining agreement that had expired in 2006.Police officers showed up in force inside Council Chambers for the meeting and left the room satisfied.“My guys are happy. It’s been four years,” said Officer David M. Joyce, union vice president. “It was a fair agreement to both sides.”Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski said the deal amounted to good value for the city. “I think it’s a good deal. It’s affordable, yet they are happy with the situation,” he said. If the two sides went to arbitration, it “would have cost even more money for everybody,” the mayor added.“If we went to arbitration, there’s a chance it may have been larger than 2 percent per year” in back pay, Szymanski said. “They agreed that was a fair number. We agreed that was a fair number.”Council members voted, 4-1, to approve the deal, with 4th Ward Councilman Keith E. Lewis casting the lone vote against the contract.Lewis said that the police officers deserved a new contract but that he didn’t have enough details about the budgetary impact of the contract to understand whether the city can afford it. “I feel really uncomfortable with the lack of information I have today,” he said. “Please understand this ‘no’ vote is not a ‘no’ to you.”If the city has the wherewithal, he added, “I’ll be all for it.”Afterward, Lewis said he needed to know the effect of the contract of the city’s budget for next year and on its reserves. He also expressed concern that it could push the city even closer to its constitutional tax limit.“I have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers who elected me to do due diligence,” he said.Other Council members expressed concerns about having the agreement presented to them just days ago, with little explanation of its budgetary implications. But they voted in favor of it, anyway.In his 2013-14 budget proposal, Szymanski set aside $1.2 million in reserve funds to cover the costs of retroactive pay for employees covered by expired contracts that he expected to renegotiate. About $380,000 of that was supposed to cover back pay for the police.Joyce said police were not out to harm the city’s finances. Lackawanna’s officers will still be paid far less on average than officers in other area departments, he added. Lackawanna patrol officers currently earn between $46,000 and $55,000 in base salary.“We weren’t looking to be the highest-paid. We just want a fair wage for our guys,” Joyce said.The Council tabled a vote on another tentative contract deal reached between the city and about 20 white-collar employees in City Hall.email: jtokasz@buffnews.com
May 20 2013

Maggi may be on her way to New York – we’re not sure how big she lost at the Preakness But she had a huge loss last week on these pages! Maggi was in Maryland betting (and, presumably losing) at Pimlico Saturday with the running of the 138th Preakness (and visiting with son, Erik!). She was losing in Laguna as well – practically everyone seemed to know her challenges from last week – nonetheless Maggi’s back at it for us. Begin with the photo below then click on the left side photo in the slideshow to see all three. Send your answers to Stu@StuNewsLaguna.com. Thanks for playing! {gallery}maggi93{/gallery}
May 20 2013

Plans to restore and repair the Shelter Island Historical Society’s Havens House and to expand it to accommodate a community classroom for society programs got a huge boost this week with word of a challenge grant. Bill and Elizabeth Pedersen stepped forward, promising up to $200,000 to match other contributions that are made between now [...]
May 20 2013

Veterans Commission Meeting Monday 05/20/2013 at 6:00PM City Hall all Veterans Organizations invited as well as the Media.Agenda:Finalization of Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday 05/27/2013.Report on Paver Blocks.Flags and Wreaths Status.Veterans Information presented to the Commission.Chairman Of The CommissionWilliam J Liberis
May 20 2013

Residents packed into the Irvington Senior Center to participate in County Executive Rob Astorino's 'Ask Astorino' town hall last Thursday to talk about everything from taxes to health care to affordable housing and more.
May 20 2013

Do you know an outstanding athlete who graduated from Shelter Island High School and should be recognized by the school? If so, you must get in touch with the newly-formed Hall of Fame Committee. From me, finally a big “thank you” to the Islanders who are taking on the responsibility of preserving the history of [...]
May 20 2013

Type: bk Office: 7 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Sapir-13, Jeffrey L. [Notice, Appearance] (<a href='https://ecf.nysb.uscourts.gov/doc1/126013515615?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=110&caseid=229137'>42</a>)
May 20 2013

Type: bk Office: 4 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Genova,, Trustee Thomas [Notice, Appearance] (<a href='https://ecf.nysb.uscourts.gov/doc1/126013515606?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=35&caseid=238401'>8</a>)
May 20 2013

It stood as an ornate symbol of steel industry might and job opportunity.But as the Bethlehem Steel Administration Building languished for decades – empty and without purpose – it became a different symbol altogether for Lackawanna.A sad shell of its glory days, with trees sprouting from a tattered roof, the timeworn facade reflected just how far Lackawanna had fallen since Bethlehem stopped making steel in the city that steel made.Crews began tearing down the 1901 building in March and have scooped up nearly all of its pulverized remains.“When it closed, it just sat there and rotted,” said Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski, who pushed for its demolition in the face of preservationists’ strong opposition.So now the questions linger: Did razing the deteriorated structure come from a new playbook for doing things better while embracing reform after 30 years of decline following Bethlehem’s departure? Or was it another chapter of inept leadership and lack of foresight in Lackawanna?Szymanski, just a boy in 1983 when Bethlehem stopped making steel in Lackawanna, calls it a turning point.For years, Bethlehem pumped plumes of smoke into the sky and bundles of tax money into the city budget. The ultimate company town, Lackawanna at one time received more than two-thirds of all its revenue from the steel plant.But Szymanski never witnessed the boom times.Instead, he remembers friends sitting next to him in class one day and gone the next. Fathers who lost jobs at the plant moved away with their families to find work.Doomsayers predicted that residents would flee en masse and that basic city services such as policing and firefighting would be eliminated, with municipal bankruptcy all but inevitable.None of these scenarios happened, of course. The city stared down a couple of fiscal crises, raised taxes, laid off dozens of workers and survived with aid from Erie County. But Lackawanna has not fully recovered.Thirty years after losing steelmaking, the city still shows severe signs of rust.It is older, poorer and smaller, with a crumbling infrastructure and stagnant tax base. Making improvements has been compromised by decades of political shenanigans, patronage hiring and stifling legacy costs.In 1982, the Bethlehem site brought about $6 million in property taxes to the city.Today, the figure is well south of $1 million, and the assessed value of the 1,400 acres is constantly being challenged.“We’re stuck on a treadmill,” said City Council President Henry R. Pirowski, “and we’re not moving forward.”Pirowski was just a baby when Bethlehem began shutting down. Like Szymanski, he ran in 2011 on a campaign to pull Lackawanna out its post-Bethlehem funk and into the 21st century.They have their work cut out for them. In many ways, the city remains frozen in 1983.Take something as simple as a 911 call for a fire emergency.Most communities use central dispatching systems for police and fire, but in Lackawanna, a 911 call for an ambulance or fire is routed to police. The police then contact the fire station’s “alarm room,” where a firefighter dispatcher relays the emergency call to fire personnel.The clunky system not only wastes valuable time, it requires the Fire Department to keep a trained firefighter at the station house to field calls.“We don’t want firemen answering telephones and I don’t want policemen answering telephones. They belong in cars and on the trucks,” said Dana J. Britton, a former police officer who now is the city’s director of public safety. “It’s kind of common sense.”Britton said the city’s contracts with the police and fire unions stipulate the current setup, which leads to higher personnel costs, because an assigned officer and firefighter take calls. “I don’t know how [the unions] got it,” he said. “They think the steel plant’s still around, and it’s not.”The catch-up list is long and is growing:• Much of Lackawanna’s playground equipment “was old when I was a kid,” the mayor acknowledges, and he hopes to replace at least some of the play sets this summer.• The city ranked dead last among the state’s 62 cities in revenue growth between 1980 and 2010.• Contracts with four unions of city employees have expired, some as long as five years ago.• City Hall, often ridiculed as Lackawanna’s ugliest building, needs numerous repairs.• The school system’s student scores on state tests ranked second from the bottom – above only Buffalo – among school districts in Western New York, according to a Business First of Buffalo analysis.• The city is one of four in New York in danger of maxing out the total amount of property taxes that it can raise under state law.• Traffic studies show that dozens of stop signs and traffic lights, installed when as many as 20,000 cars entered and left the steel plant daily, are no longer necessary.The city has a two-tiered property tax structure, taxing businesses at more than double the rate of homeowners.Few homeowners complain of high taxes, but many small businesses have folded since Bethlehem left.“You could walk down Center Street and go to four different grocery stores. Now, there’s not a store on Center Street,” said Michael J. Sobaszek, president of the Lackawanna Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve got more industrial, buildable, usable land than anybody, and it’s sitting there. Why? Because who’s going to pay $70 per $1,000 in taxes by the time you add in the city, county and school district?”The city currently has just 800 properties taxed at the nonhomestead rate – including homes with four units or more – to go with 5,382 parcels that are considered homestead.“It’s more like a retirement and bedroom community,” said longtime resident and retired firefighter James P. Drozdowski. “There’s no kids anymore. All we’ve got are senior citizens and some small families.”To attract new small businesses, the mayor and City Council shifted more of the tax burden onto homeowners. But city officials walk a tightrope with any tax shift, because many homeowners are senior citizens on fixed incomes.Both Szymanski and Pirowski talk about making the city more business-friendly.Lackawanna’s reputation in that regard has not been strong. Even Bethlehem Steel battled for years with the city, blaming high property taxes for its woes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But city officials refused to take less and tighten spending.“It was the golden goose, and they milked it dry,” Pirowski said.And the city still pays.Lackawanna has more retired police officers, firefighters and other municipal employees earning pensions – 199 in all – than people currently working for the city.“Our budget,” said Szymanski, “is retirees and union positions.”Critics say the patronage continues unabashedly in Lackawanna. It can be found just about everywhere where public money is spent: City Hall, the school district and the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority.“It’s mind-boggling,” said Dennis M. Mulqueen Jr., one of the few Republicans in the city. “Nepotism here has got to be the worst. And I think the main thing holding the city back is nepotism.”Mulqueen believes the city’s one-party dominance has a lot to do with it. The last Republican mayor of Lackawanna was in 1972, he said. A Republican has not sat on the Council in 22 years. It all leads to backdoor deals and no public input, Mulqueen said. Take a look at most Council meetings.“It’s pretty much rubber-stamped before you get there,” he said. “They don’t have much of a discussion in front of people. Without checks and balances, can a city really ever change?”For Mulqueen, Bethlehem’s demise is also a red herring for today’s elected officials.“It’s a lame excuse, the steel plant closed. No kidding. Move on,” Mulqueen said. “You still hear them use that excuse to this day. It’s pathetic. That was 30 years ago.”The current mayor and Council members say they understand that, even if their predecessors did not. “The equation changed in 1983. As far as I’m concerned, the politicians didn’t adjust to it. Now we’re doing that,” Szymanski said.Joseph L. Jerge, the Council’s newest member, said governance is improving. “I think accountability was a problem in the past,” said Jerge, owner of Mulberry Italian Ristorante. “You can go back in the minutes to laws that were passed and things that were done and never followed-through on. That’s what’s been missing for the last 30 years.”The mayor and Pirowski say they agree on many ideas they believe could help move the city forward. Both view redeveloping the 1,400-acre former Bethlehem site as the key to Lackawanna’s resurgence.Old habits die hard in the steel city, though. The mayor and the Council have battled in court since last year over whether a Szymanski appointee should remain as the city’s public works commissioner. And residents who fought to save the Bethlehem Steel Administration Building felt little had changed in City Hall.A forward-thinking city administration would have done more to preserve the building and find a viable reuse, said Danielle L. Huber of the Lackawanna Industrial Heritage Group.Huber points to Bethlehem, Pa., where much of its former steel plant campus has been converted into an arts and entertainment district, with a Sands casino and resort and other amenities.“They experienced the same type of situation, the same kind of loss,” Huber said. “The purpose of us trying to save that building was more than just the history and the architecture.”Still, some longtime observers of Lackawanna’s political scene see reason for optimism.“You have a younger generation at the reins of Lackawanna government,” said the Rev. Mark Blue, pastor of Second Baptist Church. “I’m hoping that it’s not the same old, same old Lackawanna government.”email: jtokasz@buffnews.com
May 20 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — The college student was being held in a headlock by a masked intruder with a loaded gun to her head, police said. Then the gunman took aim at an officer. 
May 20 2013

Type: bk Office: 2 Chapter: 13 Trustee: Reiber, George M. [Hearing Continued (BK Motion)] 49
May 20 2013

Type: bk Office: 6 Chapter: 7 Trustee: Schaal-Trustee, Randy J. [Certificate of Financial Management Course ( post-petition) Form 23] (<a href='https://ecf.nynb.uscourts.gov/doc1/124012436541?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=29&caseid=337219'>9</a>)
May 20 2013

Growth and change were on the minds of the 630 students who stood on stage in Spartan Hall at Cayuga Community College Sunday afternoon as they prepared to take the next step of their lives.
May 20 2013

Type: ap Office: 7 Chapter: [So Ordered Stipulation] (<a href='https://ecf.nysb.uscourts.gov/doc1/126013511723?pdf_header=&de_seq_num=28&caseid=238702'>7</a>)
May 20 2013

The federal civil rights challenge to the contentious New York Police Department tactic of stop, question and frisk is closing after more than nine weeks of testimony from men who say they were wrongly stopped because of...
May 19 2013

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The standard assignments for Elizabeth Morris’ college-level Child Development/Child Psychology course at Saratoga Springs High School look challenging.
May 19 2013

OLAF FUB SEZ: In the estimation of French author Honore de Balzac, born on this date in 1799, “In diving to the bottom of pleasure, we bring up more gravel than pearls.”...WisteriaBeautiful wisteria blossomsin the center of springLavender blooms cascadingattract the robins to singalongside the columbinea melodious reverieAbundant picturesque wisteriaA garden’s favorite fragrant mystery– Janice Schlau...EXTRA CREDIT – Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, 601 McKinley Parkway, is taking registrations for its Summer Enrichment Camp for boys entering sixth, seventh and eighth grades next fall. The camp will be held at the South Buffalo school during the weeks of July 8 and July 15 and will include academic sessions, recreation, music, rowing, field trips and special guests. Fee is $100 for one week and $175 for two weeks. For more information, call the school at 826-3610, Ext. 243, or visit http://summerenrichment.webs.com....RACER’S EDGE – The North Tonawanda History Museum, 54 Webster St., will celebrate the Lumber City’s second annual Jim “Herk” Hurtubise Day on Tuesday by offering free admission to see its exhibit of artifacts from the fabled race car driver. At 2 p.m., the video “Roar from the Sixties” will be shown; the film includes Hurtubise’s big win in the Atlanta 500 in 1966....SEA LEGS – Don’t wait too long to save yourself a place on the annual Penn Dixie Nature Cruise and Buffalo Lighthouse Tour on June 9.The three-hour cruise, which starts at 8:30 a.m. from Erie Basin Marina, will feature tour guides discussing what’s behind all the sights – how the Great Lakes and Niagara River were formed, the fisheries, aquatic biology, birds and historic points of interest. Back on shore, there will be a rare opportunity to visit the historic Buffalo Lighthouse.Space on the boat is limited. For Penn Dixie members, tickets are $25 for adults and $22 for children; for nonmembers, tickets for adults and children are $3 more. For more information, call 627-4560 or visit www.penndixie.org. ...REUNION TIME – The Class of 1964 from Niagara Falls High School, which is planning a 50th year reunion for September 2014, has scheduled a planning meeting Wednesday in the high school on Porter Road. A tour of the school will be given at 3:30 p.m., followed by a meeting at 4 in the faculty cafeteria. For more information, call 773-3129.The West Seneca West High School Alumni Committee is holding a reunion picnic for all classes up to and including 1963 on Aug. 28. For more information, call Richard Kingsbury at 941-5073 or Phyllis Gossel at 674-9171. A reunion for all classes from Burgard Vocational High School will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 in the Columns Banquets Hall, 2221 Transit Road at Seneca Street, Elma. Cost is $25 and includes food and more. For more information, call 662-4364 or 741-9040. ...HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Jen Sweeney, Andy Janes-Sweeney, Mike Dickinson, Diana Notaro, David A. Quagliana, Matt Marinaro, Sister Mary Albertine Stachowski, Sister Mary Francella Turajski, Sister Mercy Assurukudiyil, Sister Denise Marie Jaworski, Stan Buczkowski, Logan Hedges, Cameron Schlegel, Sara Lesswing, Cindy Carlson, Karen Miller, Chrissy Bain, Erma Nowak, Sandra Yund, Brant Hodgson, Anthony Fiorentino, Milt Kalnitz, Caroline Zurek and Ann Dubois.email: olaffub@buffnews.com
May 19 2013

Teresa Lawrence’s career path has taken her far from her childhood home in Germany, but her passion for teaching has helped the students of Western New York to blossom for more than two decades.Lawrence was named superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District last month and plans to take the reins June 10. The director of curriculum and staff development for the Clarence Central School District for the past eight years, Lawrence sought the top position in Grand Island because she had grown to love the community while completing her administrative studies within the district.“I have admired the school district and community ever since,” she said. “During the interview process, it became abundantly clear that the Grand Island School Board, and the community at large, values education. I believe together we can build upon an already top-notch school district,” she said.Lawrence believes her combination of educational and career experiences made her an attractive candidate for the position, including her ability to listen and seek common ground with stakeholders while balancing what is best for students; a track record of achieving outcomes through collaboration; a strong work ethic; a history of seeking out educational opportunities; and a strong resume that includes positions with increased obligations and accountability.These educational and career paths provided the foundation of what Lawrence describes as a global perspective to teaching, learning and leadership.Her father was a U.S. Air Force officer and her mother is British, and the family moved to Germany when Lawrence was 5. From fifth grade through high school, she attended German schools, completing her studies completely in the language. She studied for and earned the American general education diploma with the intention of completing undergraduate studies in the United States, but she returned to Germany to continue her studies in mathematics before returning to the United States at age 20 to complete her undergraduate work.“In 1990, I moved to Buffalo with the intention of completing undergraduate studies in statistics and math and returning overseas,” she said. “I never left.”She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in statistics, an advanced certificate in educational technology and a doctor of philosophy from the University at Buffalo and a certificate in human resources from Cornell University. Her educational career began in 1991 as a middle school math and religion teacher at Queen of Heaven in West Seneca. From there, she worked for several years as a consultant with LEGO Dacta, the educational division of LEGO Systems, Inc., based in Amherst.Before joining the administrative staff at Clarence Central, Lawrence served for five years as the instructional specialist for research and evaluation for Williamsville Central Schools; one year as the program supervisor and assistant principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Kenmore; and three years as the curriculum and staff development coordinator at Erie 1 BOCES.While she originally was interested in quality control or actuarial work, the classroom beckoned.“I was drawn to teaching,” she said. “I chose to stay on in Buffalo, where I began my career in education. I am currently in my 22nd year in education. I cannot imagine doing any other work.”In addition to her work inside the schools, Lawrence has taken an active role in addressing the increase in prescription drug abuse among teenagers by serving as the lead coordinator of the Western New York Medication Drop-Off Campaign through the Drug Enforcement Agency and by assisting Kids Escaping Drugs. Lawrence sees drugs, bullying and other pressures as the larger challenges that students face daily, but she adds that since she began her career, technology has complicated matters.“Technology has blurred space between ‘private self’ and ‘public self,’ ” she said. “Social media such as Twitter, Vine and Instagram keep more and more parents and trusted adults out of the loop of what they know to be their children, and what we know to be our students.”Board of Education interim President Paul Krull explained that the field of candidates for superintendent began at 38 before the board narrowed the choice to three, and Lawrence’s blend of personality and background won over board members.With the post will come several challenges, according to Krull, including increasing retirement costs and unfunded mandates from the state; yearly budget issues; the beginning of two capital projects totaling more than $60 million; contract negotiations with administrators this year and teachers next year;and the growing concern about the state’s testing mandates.The board, however, is certain that Lawrence can meet the challenges.“We think she is a great fit,” Krull said. “She will move the district forward and make it better for students, staff and the community.”For Lawrence, the position is an extension of her mission of helping others within a field that she adores.“I wanted a career in which I felt I could make a difference,” she said. “I am at my best when I am working in service of others. After the first few minutes of teaching, I knew I was where I was supposed to be.”
May 19 2013

LOCKPORT – Battle lines have been drawn in a lawsuit between a contractor and the City of Lockport over the opening of bids for the demolition of the city’s downtown parking ramp.The city’s attorney filed papers in State Supreme Court last week, attempting to contradict the version of events given by Scott Lawn Yard, a Sanborn company, in its lawsuit, which is to be heard Thursday by Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr.The city’s paperwork includes an affidavit from Judy L. Ritchie, senior account clerk in the Engineering Department, identified for the first time publicly as the city employee who allegedly told Scott Lawn Yard’s representative that he had to deliver his bid for the job in Buffalo, not at City Hall as the bid instructions stated.However, Ritchie denied sending Christopher Juliano, the Scott employee, to the offices of Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, or CRA, the engineering firm handling the design work for the city.Corporation Counsel John J. Ottaviano acknowledged Friday that by challenging Scott’s version on factual as well as legal grounds, it might cause Kloch to take testimony in a hearing that could delay the demolition even more. The city had hoped to have the ramp removed and replaced by a 42-space surface lot by late July.Ritchie’s version says she entered City Hall after her lunch break at about 1 p.m. April 5, bid opening day, and found a man who asked whether she was from the Engineering Department. Ritchie said that she was and that the man, later identified as Juliano, told her that he had just left a bid package on her desk. Ritchie then said CRA was handling the project. She asked Juliano whether he had the company’s phone number, and he said he did. Ritchie found no bid package on her desk and ran outside to try to find Juliano, but he had left.The lawsuit filed by Scott said Juliano drove to CRA’s Buffalo office and was told the bids were supposed to have been delivered in City Hall by 2 p.m. Juliano was unable to make it back in time, and Scott’s bid was marked late and rejected, even though it was $190,000 less than the lowest of the other nine bids.“None of the other nine bidders had a problem with following the written bid specifications. None of the other nine bidders needed to ask anyone in City Hall questions about where and when to deliver their bids,” Ottaviano wrote in his legal brief.He also said the CRA engineers who opened the bids at City Hall noticed that Scott’s form had several white-outs, including the amount of the $987,000 bid, which was written in by hand.On April 10, the Common Council awarded the contract to Empire Dismantlement of Grand Island for $1.17 million. Scott went to court and obtained a temporary restraining order from Kloch, barring any demolition work until the lawsuit is decided.Scott’s attorney, John P. Bartolomei, did not return a call seeking comment Friday.The five-level, 260-space parking ramp at Main and Pine streets, which opened in 1975, was closed in 2006 because of deteriorating concrete.email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
May 19 2013

Problems are mounting at Phoenix Frontier Inc., a Buffalo human services agency that offers day programs for individuals with disabilities.The agency’s board of directors fired its president and chief executive officer in March after learning the agency owed the Internal Revenue Service about $133,000 in overdue payroll taxes.Jack K. Manganello, the fired executive, responded with a lawsuit last month saying the agency owes him $132,408, including $72,261 in severance pay, $13,460 in bonuses and $8,000 in consultant fees.The firing and lawsuit follow a 2011 finding by the state Office of the Medicaid Inspector General that Phoenix Frontier had overcharged the state’s Medicaid program by at least $600,000 in a three-year period.Key Bank froze the agency’s line of credit. And Timothy Maggio of Buffalo, the board chairman, died unexpectedly in April.Despite the turmoil, board members said the agency continues to provide services to its disabled clients while taking steps to improve its finances.“I can tell you that the board is unquestionably protecting its consumers, which is our obligation. The consumers are well taken care of,” said Timothy G. O’Connell, a Buffalo attorney and Phoenix Frontier board member.Founded in 1965, Phoenix Frontier assists about 400 people with developmental and physical disabilities, including those who have trouble hearing or seeing or who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The agency is headquartered on Leroy Avenue and has satellite sites in Amherst and North Tonawanda.Court filings for Manganello’s State Supreme Court lawsuit revealed the agency’s financial troubles.Manganello, who headed the agency for 24 years, said the board fired him without cause and that he should be paid the $132,408 under the terms of his contract.He also wants Phoenix Frontier to defend and indemnify him against any attempt by the IRS to recoup the agency’s taxes from him.O’Connell submitted an affidavit spelling out how the agency became “mired in serious financial peril under the watch” of Manganello.The directors, O’Connell said, “lost all confidence in Mr. Manganello, whose relationship with the board became very difficult.”The agency, with a $4.8 million budget and more than 100 employees, has been forced to cut staff and sell some of its property.“Unfortunately, plans are under way to cut benefits and trim programs in order to try to save the agency from financial ruin,” O’Connell wrote.In addition to the IRS debt, the agency owes $164,000 to the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General and $175,000 on its line of credit with Key Bank. It also owes money to vendors.“Mr. O’Connell alleges that Phoenix became mired in serious financial peril under my watch and that I refused to take personal responsibility,” Manganello said in his affidavit. “What responsibility has the board taken for its actions, or rather, its inaction?”The agency’s most recent problems with the IRS began in February 2012, when withholding payments were made late, resulting in penalties and interest. Between April and July, no payments at all were made to the IRS.Manganello said the agency’s chief financial officer never told him about the overdue taxes and late tax payments. He maintained it was the chief financial officer’s responsibility to pay the taxes.Manganello fired the chief financial officer in August 2012 when the officer told Manganello about the IRS “intent to seize notice” for monies owed.Manganello said O’Connell blames him for the late tax payments.“However, my job as CEO was to supervise the employees and to carry out the policies and directions of the board,” Manganello said in his affidavit. “My job was make sure that policies and procedures were in place for the payments of taxes, not to make the payments myself.”Manganello’s annual salary was $108,392 at the time of his firing.The IRS informed Manganello earlier this year that it would hold him personally liable for paying the taxes if Phoenix Frontier did not pay.Manganello said the board received monthly reports last year indicating the agency did not have a surplus. And the board was told of “extraordinary expenses” and cash flow issues caused by delays in state funding that hurt Phoenix’s financial condition, he said.Board members said Manganello never advised them that payments were not being made to the IRS until the financial officer was fired, nor did he make them aware that the agency did not have enough money to pay its debts.“Bottom line is Mr. Manganello was the chief executive officer of the organization. If that’s not his responsibility, then whose is it?” asked board member Marty Haumesser. “Mr, Manganello’s departure was unfortunate, but the board felt it was necessary to take action to right the ship.” The board hired a forensic accountant, who is still investigating the agency’s financial records, said Haumesser.Taxes are being paid now and the agency is “in the process of correcting those past-due taxes,” he said.But the other debts remain a huge fiscal challenge, and the board has been in discussions with the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to help map the agency’s future.“We’re going to do everything in our power to keep Phoenix going,” said Haumesser. “We’ve got a strong board in place, so that if anyone can turn this around, I’m confident we can.”email: jtokasz@buffnews.com
May 19 2013

More than 1,000 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Wading River Saturday for a new dining hall at the Schiff Scout Reservation on Wading River Manor Road. The new facility will replace a building lost during a 2011 fire at the Boy Scout camp. “Once completed, this beautiful, year-round facility will serve our campers for [...]
May 19 2013

The Village of Wappingers Falls is located in the County of Dutchess, Town of Wappinger (2/3) &amp; Town of Poughkeepsie (1/3). This small village of about 5000 is located between the Newburgh-Beacon and Mid-Hudson Bridges just east of the Hudson River. Easily accessible from US Highway 9 and State Route 9D. Village government offices are located in 5 buildings: Village HallThis is the main building where most village administration is done. Offices of Mayor Clerk, Treasurer, Board of Trustees, &amp; Sanitation.  Address: 2628 South Avenue, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Police DepartmentIs in the rear of the Village Hall building through a separate entrance. Water DepartmentThe Water Department is now located at the Village Hall. American LegionOffices of Building, Planning, Zoning, and Code Enforcement are located at the American Legion building.  Most village meetings occur here also. Address: 7 Spring Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Justice CourtAll traffic, civil, and criminal matters. Address: 7 Mill Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Municipal GaragePublic Works and Sewer Department. Address: 105 Market Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
May 19 2013

Growth and change were on the minds of the 630 students who stood on stage in Spartan Hall at Cayuga Community College Sunday afternoon as they prepared to take the next step of their lives.
May 19 2013

ROME—Members of the Rome Police Department were honored on Thursday for their exceptional service during a ceremony held in the Common Council chambers in City Hall.
May 19 2013

Day one of the fourth annual Fleece and Fiber Fair was held Saturday at the Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead. Local artisans demonstrated various skills associated with fiber production and art including spinning, felting, shearing and knitting. Dozens of vendors sold supplies and one-of-a-kind art pieces at stalls set up inside and outside the Naugles [...]
May 19 2013

Great Bend, Pa (WBNG Binghamton) Great Bend-Hallstead Ambulance Volunteer Corporation broke ground for their new and larger building.
May 19 2013

The Whitehall Police Department has arrested a man for allegedly driving drunk to a fight with another man with four children in the car.
May 19 2013

Albany Police are preparing for Thursday&#39;s CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge race which is expected to draw in more than 9,000 participants this year.
May 19 2013