Mandatory Vaccine Bill Debated in Maine. Shared from WCSH6 News.

AUGUSTA, Maine (NECN) -- Maine lawmakers heard testimony from activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on both sides of the vaccine debate Monday.
A legislative committee is considering several bills that would change the state's policy on vaccines. One bill, LD 606, would eliminate the philosophical exemption to opt out of vaccines. Another bill, LD 471, would require parents to receive vaccine counseling from a doctor before opting out.
Rep. Linda Sanborn, D-Gorham, sponsored LD 471 because she said it strikes a compromise between the right to choose and the importance of public health.
"There is a lot of talk from celebrities about the risks [of vaccines], and a lot of that is unfounded," said Sanborn. "But that is the reason for the bill -- to make sure people are not responding to pseudo-science."

WCSH6

Proposal could regulate immunization exemptions in Maine

The vaccine debate drew a man from a famous family: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy told Maine lawmakers he is not anti-vaccine, but anti-CDC. Calling the agency a "cesspool of corruption," he urged lawmakers to protect a parents' right to choose, because he said the CDC cannot be trusted to make the best recommendations.
"Doctors looks at the CDC and say that's an agency that's concerned with public health, and public health only," Kennedy told NECN. "That's a real mistake."
Kennedy said there is evidence that certain vaccines can cause neurological damage to children, and many parents testified that they have seen those health concerns in their children.
"Maybe not every case of autism is linked to vaccinations, but [my son's] is," said parent Jodi Stebbens.
She said her son started exhibiting symptoms of autism just two days after receiving vaccines at the age of 2.
"I don't care if there's a scientific link that a bunch of bureaucratic scientists can connect to these vaccinations," said Stebbens. "I watched it with my own eyes happen to my baby."
But many others, including doctors, testified in favor of the vaccination bills.
"I'm confident in saying immunization does not cause autism," said Dr. Lisa Ryan, President of the Maine Medical Association.
Mother Jeri Greenwell told the committee that her son died of meningitis -- a death preventable by vaccine.
"Please take action now, and spare other families from experiencing this tragedy," said Greenwell.
It is unclear if the bills will clear the committee and head to the House or Senate. In written testimony, Gov. Paul LePage said he supports the philosophical examination, and thinks parents should be able to choose if their children are vaccinated.

Story shared from the pages of WCSH6 News  http://www.wcsh6.com/story/news/local/2015/05/10/debate-over-vaccine-exemptions-comes-roaring-through-maine/27084945/

Sandy shares WCSH6 News Story on WWII Veterans Visit to Washington DC.

 

This morning I watched the following news and video about World War 11 veterans visiting Washington. It was a very touching moment and I wanted to share this with you. My husband was a veteran of two wars and I remember well the impact each of them had on our lives. Least we forget, in our busy lives, there are young men and women we give of themselves selfishly to protect the freedom from oppression that we all share in our country. Many of these now seniors were very young men who went to war . There is another trip to be funded to send another group. I will post the particulars when they are available. In the meantime be thankful.

See the story from WCSH6 News by clicking on the link below:

http://www.wcsh6.com/story/news/local/2015/05/11/honor-flight-veterans-made-mark-in-washington-dc/27143697/

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Don't Forget to Vote!!

The polls open at 8:00 AM at the Lebanon Elementary School, 53 Upper Guinea Road, for the Town of Lebanon Vote on the MSAD60 proposed school budget.
The polls will remain open until 8:00 PM.
All registered voters in the Town of Lebanon are encouraged to attend.
The vote comes after a May 7th meeting at the Noble High School where residents were encouraged to come and ask questions regarding the school's 2015-2016 budget.
Only 18 Lebanon residents attended that meeting, out of a total of 56 registered voters from the District.
Please come and vote, and be sure Lebanon's voice is heard!

Lebanon Cemetery and Town Lawn Maintenance Bids Opened and Awarded to Brownsfield Maine Company.

While the second bidding of the Cemetery and Lawn Maintenance Bids for the Town of Lebanon were due to be opened at 5:00 PM, the Selectmen went into Executive Session for a meeting with the Town Office Staff at 5 PM as 2 of the 3 bidders waited patiently in the Town Office lobby.
At 5:25 PM, the Town Office Employees emerged and the announcement was made that the bids would be opened.
Three bids were received for this work.
The first, from J & S Masonry of Brownfield, Maine was for $10,600. While the company gave no local references, and no representative was present for the opening, they did submit references of similar work from the town of Tamworth, NH and the proper insurance forms required for the bid.
The second bid opened was from an individual Lebanon resident, Nancy Brault. The bid was for $13,500. Ms. Brault was present at the time of the opening. There was some discussion as Ms. Brault did not include the insurance paperwork, but when questioned about this, she stated that she was a new entity and that if awarded the work, would turn the insurance paperwork into the town the following day.
The third bid was from Local Landscaping, a company out of Wells, Maine, who bid $15,000. There were several representatives of the company present who stated they lived in Lebanon, only a few miles from the Town Office. Their bid included the insurance paperwork requested in the bid package.

There was some discussion regarding the need of the Selectmen to discuss the bids, but it was mentioned that by Maine State Law, the mowing season, and thus the work on maintaining the town's 38 burial grounds, was mandated to begin on May 12th, the next day.
Selectman Paul Philbrick said that the Selectmen needed to make a decision on this right away and suggested that the Town go with the cheapest bid, the one from J & S Masonry, even though they were located at a considerable distance.
Selectman Chairman, Ben Thompson had some concerns as to the distance of Brownfield, Maine from Lebanon, but said that the bid was valid and all necessary paperwork was included. He asked if the insurance paperwork was required as part of the bid, and Selectman Philbrick read from the first page of the call for bids which stated that insurance paperwork did, indeed, need to be included.
Selectman Thompson said he really did not want to be back re-bidding this work out for a third time if J & S Masonry found the distance to be too great to perform the work properly.
One by one, each Selectman reviewed each of the bid packages.
Finally, Selectmen Thompson said that he felt that the J & S Masonry bid fit the needs, pricewise, of the Town and that their paperwork was all in place. He made a motion that the Town accept the bid of J & S Masonry of Brownfield, Maine and award the work, as proposed, to that company. The motion was seconded by Selectmen Heath. The Selectmen thanked the bidders for being present and for the time they took preparing the bids.
For those of you who have never heard of Brownfield, Maine, it sits in Oxford County, about an hour and 15 minutes due north of Lebanon.