An Interview with State Representative Karen Gerrish Regarding Requested Communications Towers in Lebanon.

After attending the March 14, 2016 Lebanon Board of Selectmen's meeting, several things were sticking in my gut that I just could not resolve within myself.

I'm tired, really tired, of sitting for hours in the Selectmen's Boardroom and having papers passed in front of me, asking questions, and not getting any answers.

If the Town Government doesn't know the answers, why don't they??

I kept thinking about those communication towers mentioned by Selectmen's Assistant, Sue Collins.

The Board of three Selectmen sat, much as I've seen many other committees do in Lebanon, asking one another questions that none of them had the answer to.

So today, Tuesday, March 15th, I reached out to our State Representative, Karen Gerrish, asking questions about these proposed communications towers that the Board of Selectmen seemed to put onto the back burner, even after hearing that they were requested to be placed on Town of Lebanon property in order to "aid State Police Communications".

That last part got me.

"To aid State Police Communications".

What exactly does that mean, and why do they need communication towers in Lebanon?

I had a nice chat with Representative Gerrish, and she gave  me quite a good history on the need for these communication towers. Do we have the time to play around and discuss whether they would look prettier on the Town Office property, or the Transfer Station property?? In my opinion NO. Do we have time for Selectman Nadeau to ask for details on how tall they would be, or what color they would be?? In my opinion, NO.

The truth of the matter, according to our State Representative, is that our town, our county, and indeed, the entire State of Maine, is having a problem with a new digital radio system, used by the State Police, called the Harris Radio, which within the State of Maine is called, MSCommNet. This digital trunking system is the new state radio network that has replaced most legacy systems, including those of the Maine State Police, Warden Service, State Forestry, Marine Patrol, Maine EMA, Department of Corrections, and some smaller state agencies.

Representative Gerrish took a moment to describe the differences between the Legacy system and the newer, less effective Harris Radio system, "This is an issue I have been working on since December. We are having a serious problem with the new digitized state police radio system. I have spoken to multiple troopers from around the state and it seems there are two separate issues; one the many dead spots (including spots in Lebanon) as well as the difficulty in speaking with other municipal and sheriff departments. The prior analog system allowed the trooper to continue to drive and then simply press a series of numbers on a pad to contact another agency such as the Sheriff's Dept, or say Sanford Police Dept. With the new system, the trooper has to find the agency somewhat like a radio station on a dial and when they do locate the agency they need to communicate with, they then lose their home base, in York County's case, Gray. The troopers tell me that they use their cell phones to communicate with other agencies."

The MSCommNet has been in use for about 5 years now in Maine, starting its use in the northernmost counties and working its way down to become fully operational in York County in early 2015. Researching many scanner-land open forums, scanner users love the new trunking system as they claim that the old legacy system was outdated, filled with static and difficult to tune. However, according to Gerrish, the State Police have had problems all across the state with "dead spots", several of which are right here in Lebanon.

While Gerrish believes that the proponents of this system are trying to focus on town by town problems, however, she has been taking reports and interviews of the problems with this system state wide, and following law suits in other areas of the country where Harris Radio digital trunking systems have been put into use.

The request for the additional towers in Lebanon comes as what seems like a band aid fix, or possibly an attempt to give a boost to State Police communications that could turn difficult or deadly if a trooper were caught within a radio dead spot. Since Troopers are out here protecting residents, a radio dead spot could mean the difference between life and death for a Trooper or a  Lebanon resident.

 

Listening to our State Representative relating her hard work on this project, including a night of "ride along" with Maine State Troopers during which two very dicey calls were answered right here in Lebanon, actually had me a bit nervous about the need for speed in erecting the digital towers to aid in State Police communications. LMTS doesn't feel we actually have time to sit around on our thumbs while Selectmen try and decide where the towers should be placed. Lebanon utilizes the State Police as our primary law enforcement agency. Being on the border of New Hampshire, puts Lebanon in a precarious situation with no law enforcement and on a direct route for drug trafficking. The ability of our State Police Troopers to communicate with one another and with dispatch is critical.

 

"The dead spots are a very serious issue and there are several here in Lebanon. When I went on my ride a long with the troopers last month there were several spots, particularly on the south side of town where multiple radio checks with Gray were made to no avail. The most serious that occurred that evening when the trooper was making an arrest inside a local store and had to have the cashier call 911 as yet again, his radio could not call out. It's unacceptable to have not only our troopers in harm's way like this while they are doing their job protecting us, but this is a serious public safety issue. It is not a matter of if, but when we will encounter a serious tragedy. The problem is not unique to Lebanon. You may recall back in January there was a violent home invasion in the town of Lyman. All three responding troopers sat in the driveway, unable to call out. " said Gerrish

Representative Gerrish promises to keep us all informed on her continuing work in Legislature, with the State Police and with the Governor regarding the MSCommNet system and the need for some hard looks on the $53 million radio system that is leaving State Troopers without the ability to communicate with one another, with dispatch, or with other agencies throughout the state or on the border.

 

At the end of our conversation, Rep. Gerrish talked about how glad she was to hear that State Agencies have given some thought to the communications problem, especially here in her hometown, but also reminding residents that this is not only a Lebanon problem, but one that exists in many of the smaller towns and communities in the State of Maine. "I am happy to hear the state has reached out to the Selectmen regarding the communications issues specific to Lebanon," Gerris stated, "In the meantime, I look forward to my ongoing talks with OIT (Office of Informational Technology), the Dept. of Public Safety as well as the administration dealing with this statewide issue. I have a meeting today on the matter and another one next week with the Governor."

Call your Selectmen and ask them to approve the MSCommNet temporary towers at either the Town Office or the Lebanon Transfer Station, as soon as possible. Enable our State Police and protect Lebanon residents!!

State Drug Agents Making Record Number of Drug Arrests

 

AUGUSTA – After an alarming increase of drug-related arrests during the past week, including a major bust in the Capitol City, Governor Paul R. LePage is praising the work of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) saying their work is critical to curbing the pandemic plaguing the State.
MDEA agents have made twenty heroin related arrests since Monday, October 26, and agents and the State Medical Examiner’s Office report nine suspected heroin overdose deaths in the same period.
“I commend MDEA and local law enforcement for getting these drugs off our streets,” said Governor LePage. “The work they are doing is critical to curbing a pandemic we have on our hands—a pandemic that lawmakers are ignoring. One of the biggest drug busts we have seen in years occurred just this week in Augusta at the Senator Inn where many legislators stay during session. Seven people were arrested after drug agents seized lethal amounts of crack and heroin, all of which would have gone out on our streets. But legislators still refuse to give our law enforcement agencies the manpower they need.”
For years, Governor LePage has championed legislation to provide the MDEA with adequate resources to deal with Maine’s exploding drug issue. In 2014, he proposed a bill to provide the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with 14 agent positions; add 4 new special drug prosecutors; and add 4 new judges to sit in enhanced drug courts. In 2015, legislators watered down the bill adding just 4 drug agents, 2 new prosecutors and 2 new judges.
“Five of the seven people arrested this week are from Augusta and New York City,” said Governor LePage. “This further illustrates the infiltration of out-of-state drug dealers coming into Maine. Our agents are doing everything they can to stop the dealers, but they need more help.”
Maine’s top drug agent says the rise in drug trafficking is causing an increased threat to public safety and health. “The Maine Chiefs of Police and the Maine Sheriffs have made it clear that local law enforcement officials desperately need more resources to fight the drug problem in our State,” said Roy McKinney, director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Governor LePage has noted he will use executive authority to call upon assistance from the National Guard if the Legislature won’t make additional resources available to stop the flow of deadly drugs into Maine. The Governor has expressed interest in activating up to a dozen National Guard members who would support MDEA efforts.
“I am deeply concerned that we have people dying daily from suspected heroin overdoses and we continue to have out-of-state drug dealers entering our state. Repeatedly I have requested the Legislature to help, but they refuse to fully support the needs of the MDEA. If lawmakers won’t step up, then I will have no choice other than to ask the National Guard to help.”

RESIDENTS QUESTION: What Happens to a Patient Revived with NARCAN After a Heroin Overdose?

Questions asked by a Lebanon resident today led to a fact finding mission and some very serious questions regarding heroin use in our area.
Now that NARCAN is on the market and available to reverse the effects of heroin overdose, just what does happen to the person who has overdosed once they are revived?
Are they transported to the hospital?
Are they arrested and tried for heroin use?
What is the next step after revival?
The answers may be interesting, scary, or hopefully of use to people who would like to have a voice or speak to their Representatives, Senators or United States Legislators.
My first phone call was to Frisbie Hospital's EMS Director Gary Brock. Since it was after 5 pm on a Wednesday evening, he was not available, but I left my name and phone number on his voice mail and hopefully he will call me back and I can update the information.
I then called Southern Maine Medical Center in Sanford (the former Goodall Hospital). The emergency room staff said they could try and answer my question, but when I asked them just what happens to patients treated with NARCAN, they said they were getting busy and advised me to call Biddeford on Thursday and speak to hospital administration.
I then called York Hospital and posed the same question to Sean in Customer Relations. His answer? "We can not answer that question Ma'am, have a nice day. I suggest you call your local EMS Department." and he hung up the phone.

Now wait just a minute!!
I was not rude. I gave each of these people my name and told them why I was calling.
But okay.
I called Lebanon Fire and EMS Department Chief Daniel Meehan. According to Chief Meehan, he has attended one overdose and revived with NARCAN in Lebanon since his arrival as Chief at the beginning of the year. He had me on speaker phone and was sitting with two other responders, one of whom (and I won't use their name without permission) said that he had attended three in Lebanon so far this year.
I asked the Chief my question about what happens to the patient after they are revived, and I was a little surprised at the answer. According to the Chief, the NARCAN is administered, the person wakes up from their stupor after 20-40 minutes, and at that point, the EMS personnel on duty TRY to talk them into going to the hospital to be monitored.
When I say TRY, it's because there is no way to force anyone to take an ambulance ride to the hospital for a heroin overdose.
According to Meehan, State Police also respond to calls for heroin overdoses in Lebanon, and once the person is revived and stable, if they refuse to go to the hospital, they are asked to sign off, and EMS leaves them in the hands of Law Enforcement.
"NARCAN isn't a permanent thing," said Meehan, "It's a quick fix, and the person can relapse. But it's completely a law enforcement issue once they're conscious and alert."
The next step in my quest for answers seemed logical enough. Call the State Police and find out what THEY do with the heroin users once they have been brought back with NARCAN and have refused the ambulance ride to the hospital for treatment.
I called the Alfred State Police Barracks who would cover Lebanon for such a case and asked to speak with Sgt. Shapiro, who is the officer in charge of overseeing crime in Lebanon. It was 5:53 pm and the young man who answered told me that Sgt. Shapiro was unavailable at the time. Thinking he might help me, I told him who I was and why I would like to know the answers.
According to the man on the other end of the phone, Maine has no set policy on how to deal with a heroin overdosed patient who is refusing hospital treatment. "It depends on who the officer is that's handling the case and what the circumstances are," he said.
I asked if it were still against the law to use heroin and he asked again who I was and why I was asking. And I answered.
The young man stated that Maine State Law gives no set policy that tells what is supposed to happen, or any set procedure on what a Trooper is supposed to do once a patient is revived with a heroin overdose.
I thanked him for his time and asked him for his name, at which time he said, "Why do you want to know?"
I told him that I was giving this information out to people in the town of Lebanon, Maine and I wanted to be able to state who had given me the information.
He answered, "I don't need to give you my name, have a nice day," and for the second time in less than an hour, I was hung up on.

I did do a little bit of internet investigation, and I haven't found anything in Maine Law that speaks specifically to a heroin overdose. While it is a crime to possess the drug, it's questionable to the policy or procedure of what to do with a patient who has possessed the drug, but who no longer has the drug, after ingesting or taking it intravenously.
I did find a reporter with WLTW in Cincinatti, Ohio who was doing research on this very issue and after over 1,000 hours of investigation and research, was no closer to the answer that I am after a couple of hours.
Perhaps the laws defining the use of heroin or other substances needs to be a bit more clear.
Many of the people suffering from heroin overdoses do not have insurance, or adequate insurance to cover an ambulance ride to the local ER, or to pay for the ER visit at the local hospital. So who winds up paying the bill for the EMS crew, and the administration of NARCAN? I'm assuming it's us, the taxpayer. Although I can't seem to get a definitive answer on that yet.
Many of the people treated with NARCAN have overdosed several times and their addresses are known to EMS officials and law enforcement departments. However, there seems to be either a limit on what law enforcement can do, or the need for some type of new policy, procedure or law defining what happens to the overdose victim.
Please rest assured that I will continue my search for answers to this question on Thursday, hopefully following up with Mr. Brock at Frisbie Hospital EMS, and perhaps getting a telephone call back from Sgt. Shapiro with the Maine State Police.
Stay tuned!!!

Selectmen's Meeting of 7/13/15 Video Tape Now Available.

 

There were quite a few interesting discussions at the Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting last evening.

The video is broken down into 6 parts for you to more easily access the portions that interest you.

We try to edit out all the paper signing and pencil pushing for you, but sometimes it just happens that a bit of that sneaks into the video footage.

 

At the meeting on Monday evening, 7/13/15, Deborah was a bit late getting there. Sandy began the taping at approx. 4:06 pm. There had already been one resident in to see the Selectmen that did not get onto the video.

 

Lower Guinea Road resident Richard Small was not part of the evening's planned agenda, but he had been written into the agenda earlier in that afternoon by Selectman Heath. 

According to Mr. Small, Selectman Ben Thompson had promised him that the section of Lower Guinea Road where he lives and operates a business selling horse trailers, would be asphalt paved. However, Thompson has no recollection of ever saying this. Small also states that Lower Guinea Road was scheduled to be asphalted when a former Selectmen's Board had asked department heads to shave as much as possible off their budgets in order to help the Town fund the "misappropriated" $208,000.00 from the Rescue Department. Thompson said he had  no knowledge of what the former Road Commissioner had planned or discussed with Small at that time.

Thompson, says that ALL the town's departments gave back what they could during that difficult financial time in Lebanon, including late Road Commissioner Larry Torno. The dollar amount was then placed on the June 2014 Town Ballot, and Lebanon voters agreed to place the total into the fund to cover the huge debt incurred by the town by the former Rescue officials.  

Mr. Small, very angry, spent time calling Thompson a liar, and stating that the town should owe the Road Department the $300,000 that it took from Roads Budget, however Thompson maintains that the total amount that Torno had given back into the fund was in the area of $34,000, not $300,000.

Thompson reminded Small that he personally was not the acting Road Commissioner during that time, but that the entire Board of Selectmen were acting as Road Commissioners, so any decisions would have been made by the entire Board.

According to Thompson, after many complaints regarding the condition of Lower Guinea Road this Spring, the Board did address the issue with then Road Supervisor Tom Torno and that money was spent adding gravel and trying to address the problem. Thompson said that Lower Guinea Road has always been an unimproved road, has never been asphalt paved, and that Small bought his property on an unimproved roadway.

Small stormed from the office and the building, meeting Deborah on her way into the building with the video camera. He had a few choice words to offer regarding the Selectmen, stating that Heath and Thompson were both "f'***ing liars" and although he was asked to slow down and speak with Lebanon Maine Truth Seekers for a moment, he refused comment, saying "Go in and ask the liars what it's all about!" before getting into his beautiful black antique Chevy Bel Aire and leaving the parking lot. (***NOTE*** I've been told Mr. Small drives a Ford, not a Chevy and these eyes MAY be getting old, but it sure looked like it said "Bel Aire" in silver letters on a black car. If I'm wrong, it's not an attempt to lie or mislead. Just a mistake!! Anyway, I was admiring the car, that's why I mentioned it!!***)

 

In part 1 of the 7/13/15 Selectmen's meeting video tape, we note that Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson is plagued with a horrible case of larangitis and is very hard to hear. So if you are interested in a particular portion of the meeting, you will have to turn up your volume and listen carefully.

Some Tax Assessment concerns are spoken about, mostly in connection to the town's mobile homes.

 

SEE Part 1 of the 7/13/15 Selectmen's Meeting Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp3PNMAE7Bg

 

In Part 2 of the Meeting, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer Mike Beaulieu speaks to the Selectmen regarding the planned Country Music Festival at the 4X4 Proving Grounds. The Selectmen want to be sure that Beaulieu knows there is a Mass Gathering Ordinance in place, even though it is antiquated (created in 1983) and that 4X4 Proving Grounds will need to adhere to that permitting process through the Code Enforcement Office.

Thompson states that the business has stated they are expecting about 1500 people at the event, and that he has spoken to State Police Sgt. Shapiro who has concerns regarding the security details inside the property, and that he wanted to make Beaulieu aware of the need to review the Town's Mass Gathering Ordinance and be sure that adequate security would be provided for that number of people.

As of today's date, 4X4 Proving Grounds, or the promotional company they are working with, Clear Choice Events, have not applied for the permit, even though their chosen date, August 15 2015, is now only a little over 30 days away.

 

SEE PART 2 of the 7/13/15 Selectmen's Meeting Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWyycTElVI

 

Part 3 of the Meeting of Monday, 7/13 shows the Selectmen reviewing some paperwork, including the town's "County Tax" of over $255,000, which is the town's share of county expenses. Resident Erik Davis enters the meeting as part of the evening's agenda to speak about the Lebanon Youth Soccer program that is scheduled to begin taking sign ups on July 15th.

Mention is made that Davis, former President of the Lebanon Youth Soccer program had responded originally to a post he had seen on Lebanon Maine Truth Seekers page regarding the failing of the group to provide parents and young soccer players with all they had promised for their sign up fees.

Selectmen Thompson stated that the Selectmen wanted to be clear that this program was a private entity, not being overseen by the Town or within the confines of  the Lebanon Recreation Department. It is a private program now being overseen by Georgianna "Georgie" Allen. Thompson further stated that the town holds no liability insurance for this program and is in control of none of the money or policies of the Youth Soccer program.

Davis stated that he understood that and that he had tried to be in touch with Ms. Allen to offer his assistance in several matters in her efforts to revitalize the struggling soccer program.

Mr. Davis is concerned that the program has no known affiliation with the Soccer Maine group, the people who oversee the quality and training of referees of soccer programs here in Maine and who provide insurance programs to cover children and spectators on Maine soccer programs. He states that he has offered to meet with Ms. Allen and provide her with documents from his time as President of the group, the tax ID number, and banking information, but that Ms. Allen has refused to speak with him and that he is not saying anything derogatory, he is only trying to resolve these issues and be sure that the children are safe.

Thomspon stops Davis a bit short stating once again, that the Town of Lebanon has no involvement in the program.

 

SEE PART 3 of the 7/13/15 Lebanon Board of Selectmen's Meeting HERE;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87uVYF_yex0

 

Part 4 of the Selectmen's Meeting video shows Town Clerk Mandy Grenier speaking with Selectmen regarding the Re-Commitment of the town's Taxes.

Lebanon Maine Truth Seeker Deborah Wilson questions the amount of money returned to the General Fund from the $28,000 pushed into the Road Department budget only days before the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year and was spent on the repaving project on Center Road. Since Thompson was not in the office on Thursday, he did not participate in the Accounts Payable for that day, so he claims no knowledge. Selectmen Heath and Nadeau both claim to have no knowledge, although they were the ones who signed the Accounts Payable on Thursday, and Heath believes that Wilson's question is "throwing him under the bus", even though Wilson has asked this question at each and every meeting since the Thursday, July 2, 2015 meeting.

Lebanon Truth Seeker Sandy Adams questions once again, the dollar amounts and statements made by Mr. Richard Small earlier in the evening, and Thompson, once again, claims that Small was wrong in his thoughts on Roads Department budget amounts.

Wilson asks Selectmen's permission for a small group of volunteers to clean up some of the smaller cemeteries in town that are not on the Cemetery Mowing list. There is talk of the importance of this and of the town conforming to Maine State Laws regarding the town's responsibility of maintaining "ancient burial grounds" and "veterans graves". Thompson states that as volunteers, townspeople do not have the right to trespass on people's private property, and Selectman Heath states the Board could not grant permission to anyone to maintain the cemeteries. With a second thought to the request, Thompson hands Wilson a post-it-note with a Maine State Law that protects homeowners from "tresspassers such as hunters and fishermen" saying that he believes this law would also protect homeowners if the volunteer group were to go and clean up the small cemeteries.

Selectman Heath got a little Snippy with Wilson in speaking about volunteerism and Nadeau didn't seem interested in offering an opinion.

 

SEE Part 4 of the 7/13/15 Selectmen's Meeting video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VRjoD4V8xk

 

As part 5 of the video opens, Mr. Chip Harlow and Mrs. Nancy Newburg of the Lebanon Budget Committee arrive to talk about having the town's department heads meeting with the Budget Committee regarding their annual budgets.

According to Harlow, the policy had been voted on when Karen Gerrish and Ben Thompson were seated on the board, however, the policy had never been implemented or followed through with.

Harlow calls for the Budget Committee to go over budgets with town department heads line by line and then vote to recommend, or not to recommend, their support of the budgets, as proposed, to the town. "The department heads can't even answer questions about their own budgets," stated Harlow, adding "That's their job!"

Selectman Heath, states that he has "No Comment" and Chairman of the Board, Ben Thompson states that the Board will speak about this, while disclosing that the trio of Selectmen actually hold "illegal meetings" on Wednesdays where they are all seated together and conducting town business.

 

SEE Selectmen's Meeting Part 5 from 7/13/15 HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB1UB3aV22w

 

The final segment of video from the 7/13/15 Lebanon Selectmen's Meeting shows Lower Barley Road residents gathered to speak their concerns to the Board regarding problems they're having with vehicle traffic on the badly deteriorated and unused part of Lower Barley Road.

According to Traci Place, late at night there is a lot of traffic happening on the unpaved road of trucks, "creating all hell and havoc."

Accompanying Mrs. Place are her husband Tom, their son, and Lower Barley Road resident Shad Colwell.

The group states that State Police and Game Wardens have been called to assist them several times, but that the majority of the activity happens after "State Police are done for the night".

Lebanon Truth Seeker Deborah Wilson questions this statement and Mr. Tom Place advises that Sgt. Shapiro has told him that after 11 pm, the closest Trooper is located in Biddeford, Maine and that they're not readily available for even a call back on the situation until after 7 am, which Traci Place describes as a "rather unsettling feeling." Tom adds, "Short of you bleeding out, they're not coming," and "If I've got a problem at 1 in the morning, I'm in trouble".

Mr. Colwell states that he is discouraged. That he pays his taxes just like everyone else in town but feels that for Lower Barley resident, "the world stops at Greniers" (his neighbor).

After speaking with Game Warden Richardson, the group are asking Selectmen to be able to erect a sign which would officially close that 1/4 of a mile of unimproved Lower Barley Road to vehicle traffic, only allowing ATV's and snowmobile traffic. They say that Warden Richardson tells them that to do this, would give him the "tools he needs" to stop other traffic down into that area.

The group left without much of an answer, but the Selectmen were going to look into their claims that former Road Commissioner Larry Torno had told them that the portion of road they were concerned with was "discontinued" as a town road back in 1938.

As the group make their way toward the door, Selectman Nadeau makes a quick motion to adjourn the meeting, being held short of that goal by Thompson who reminds the new Selectman that the group has some work to do in Executive Session.

 

See the Final portion of Selectmen's Meeting video from 7/13/15 HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_TGHCZ2TLA

 

Once outside, it was only minutes until Selectman Nadeau left the building. After another 10 minutes (give or take) Lebanon Truth Seeker Deborah Wilson re-entered the building to find out where the other 2 Selectmen were and to be sure there were no additions to add to this report, finding the two remaining Selectmen busy going over paperwork and cleaning off the desk for the evening. When asked why they were still working and Nadeau had left for the evening, Selectman Heath stated that Nadeau always leaves as quickly as possible after the adjournment of the evening's meeting and that the remaining two are left to file and clean up.

 

***Provided as an addendum to this Selectmen's Meeting Video Tape coverage from 7/13/15.

I had asked if there were any videos or Meeting Minutes from the last time that Mr. Small had appeared before the Selectmen's Meeting complaining about the condition of Lower Guinea Road. I have been provided with this copy of the minutes from the March 26, 2015 Selectmen's Meeting, signed as correct by Chairman Ben Thompson, Selectman Royce Heath, and Selectman Paul Philbrick.  Their conversation with Mr. Small is under the 4:00 - 4:30 pm conversation with Road Supervisor Tom Torno.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selectmen's Meeting of Monday, July 6, 2015.

 

Selectmen's Meeting, Monday July 6, 2015

 

Well, I made a boo-boo..... I left the video recorder home on the kitchen counter. But thankfully, there wasn't much happening at the Lebanon Selectmen's meeting tonight. So you'll all have to forgive me and read my notes on the meeting without the video.

On the agenda for 4 pm was Road Commissioner Tom Torno, however, Selectman Heath stated that Mr. Torno had contacted him earlier in the day and stated that he would be unable to attend. No reason was given.
The Selectmen have finally received information from the bank they've chosen regarding the Procurement Cards for the town's department heads.  The Procurement Cards will allow each department head to have a certain amount of money at their disposal, sort of like a Petty Cash fund. The cards would be stocked with a $200 - $300 spending limit and allow the purchases of office supplies, cleaning supplies, and the like without the need for a small purchase order each time. The receipts for money spent would still need to be turned in to Lebanon Treasurer Jeanette Lemay, and larger purchases would still require a purchase order, but this will give the town's department heads a little flexibility to keep things well stocked. Selectman Royce Heath made the motion to accept the bank's Procurement Card program set-up plan and the motion was 2nd by Selectman Ben Thompson with the two voting to begin, while Selectman Paul Nadeau abstained from voting due to the fact that the program was not discussed with him as it had been begun by the Board prior to his June 9th election.
The Selectmen then looked over a proposal by Mosaic Technologies to come in and assess Lebanon's computer system and upgrade needs for a price of $1,250. This would only be the price for the assessment and a written report coming back to the Selectmen to aid them in creating a bid request for the actual work needing to be done.
Conversation from Selectman Thompson was regarding the need for this work, however he has a few reservations as to whether or not coming in and doing the assessment would then give Mosaic Technologies the upper hand in any bidding process. He also said that he thinks the time to do this is now, as there are many questions regarding the information safety of credit or debit card payments made to the town.
Selectman Heath also noted that in today's computer driven world, the Board had to act on this one way or another to be sure they're protecting the town's residents from threat of identity theft.
No vote was taken at the time whether or not to move forward with the technology assessment as outlined by Mosaic Technologies.
Selectmen's Assistant, Sue Collins, was asked to come in earlier than her 4:30 pm scheduled agenda time, which she did. There was talk about the town's insurance agency, Norton's Insurance and e mails sent back and forth between Agent Mike Lonergan and Selectman Thompson with cc's to Fire and Rescue Department Chief Dan Meehan and Sue Collins. Selectman Heath was a bit worried that neither he, or Selectman Nadeau had been cc'd and he asked if he could have a look at the notes. The information was regarding the insurance company's offering of Auto Safety Seminars to the Fire and Rescue Department, which the Agent had spoken to the Selectmen, and Fire and Rescue Chief about a little over a week ago.
The Board decided to ask Anthony Jones, the insurance company's Auto Safety Seminar person, to come and join an upcoming Selectmen's meeting and ask Chief Meehan to attend as well. Ms. Collins will be scheduling that to meet everyone's needs.
Georgie Allen arrived to ask the Board a few questions with regards to a Lebanon Summer Camp field trip to Lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro, NH, scheduled to take place on July 22. Ms. Allen has been named the Acting Director of the Lebanon Summer Camp, due to the Director, Shirley Matthews' inability to direct the camp due to an unforeseen medical issue.
Selectman Thompson asked Ms. Allen what was happening with regards to the Lebanon Youth Soccer program. Ms. Allen stated that she had tried to contact Erik Davis but that she had not yet received a call back from him. However, she was moving forward with her plans to proceed and had been working with Soccer Maine and the folks over at the Berwick Soccer Program in order to get everything together and provide a quality soccer program for Lebanon children. She credited the Berwick Soccer Program for their help, and said that she should have more information soon.
Sue Collins continued with her questions, talking with the Board regarding and incident that took place up on Lower Barley Road over the holiday weekend. The property up in the back areas of that road have been a favorite for ATV riding in the past, but lately there seem to be a lot of large trucks going "mudding" up in the area. Several residents worked together to place some large boulders across the access road, which would prohibit large trucks while still allowing the ATVs to access the property and trails. In the very early hours of Saturday morning, apparently someone in a truck, driving up the unfinished roadway, did not see the large rocks and smashed into them. Unknown damage was done to the truck, as they left the premises, but a license plate was left behind.
Selectman Thompson told Lebanon Truth Seekers that he was waiting to hear from Sgt. Shapiro of Troop A of the Maine State Police in regards to this matter, and that the Trooper may be at Thursday evening's Selectman's meeting, along with several concerned residents from that area.
Questions were asked by Lebanon Truth Seekers in response to resident's questions regarding whether or not the Road Equipment Rental, or Road Paving Work, for the town would be coming up for a new bid with the renewal of the fiscal year. Selectman Thompson said, "Well, they should!" and Selectmen Heath and Nadeau had nothing to add. Thompson stated that he'd asked Road Commissioner Tom Torno about putting together a request for bids for the paving and truck rental prices over a week ago, and it was one of the questions he had for Mr. Torno tonight, prior to finding out that Torno would not be coming in. "It's currently not up for bid," said Thompson, "but again, it should be. Tommy needs to be writing that up."
That question led to a discussion between Selectman Heath and Thompson regarding mowing work, and they agreed to ask Mr. Torno (who oversees the bid winners responsible for cemetery and town property mowing) if he would contact them as they both agreed the lawns in town were getting a bit long.
Again the subject changed, this time talking about the mowing and brush cutting that needed to be done on the sides of all the town's roadways. There was a lot of discussion between the three men regarding the different machines required to just mow, rather than to mow and cut brush.
Selectman Nadeau recalled "when Dick Thompson used to do the job, it was always wonderful!" But Thompson reminded him that Mr. Thompson has been gone about 10 years now. Nadeau then spoke about the work the NH Highway Department was having done down near Chestnut Hill Road in Rochester, adding that he had seen the machine they were using and it was pretty amazing as it could cut the grass and take down even small trees with one machine.
Selectman Heath spoke to the different machines that he had seen in use, and that the town had rented a John Deere machine about 2 years ago. He said that it had done a good job cutting back the brush along the town's roads. "It took a VERY long time," said Heath, "We couldn't do all the roads in town."
Lebanon Truth Seekers asked whether the Selectmen had any idea yet how much of the $28,000 delivered into the Highway Department budget on June 29th, had made its way back into the General Fund. While Selectman Heath had said on Thursday, July 2, that the Board should have a better idea of the money being returned at tonight's meeting when they would go over the project with Torno and Treasurer Jeanette Lemay, since Tom had not shown up for the meeting, they still did not know.
"It could take as long as a month before we have a good idea of that," said Thompson, "as we have to wait for all the bills to come in and be processed by Jeanette."
When asked if they even had a general ball-park figure, Heath and Thompson said it was still an "unknown".
I left the Board to their Accounts Payable duties, and they were going to go over some Transfer Station applications after I spoke to them about a trip I made to the Transfer Station today where I had a trailer full of heavy trash bags and even though I have a handicapped license plate, no one came out to help me unload it and I had been left to do so alone, while someone inside continually operated the compactor. The Board said that they were going to go over the several applications that they had received and begin the interview process soon.
Lebanon Truth Seekers left the Town Office around 5:30 pm.

Maine State Police K-9 Patrol School Graduates Honor Fallen K-9 Handler Andrew Griffith During Graduation Proceedings.

Photo Courtesy of the Maine State Police K9 Patrol School

The 30th K9 Patrol School graduates Friday June 12, 2015.
For their class picture the class chose to pay homage to Trooper Andrew (Drew) Griffith. Tpr. Griffith is the only active K9 handler to lose his life in the line of duty in the State Police. Drew’s memorial is located in picturesque St. George. The class also decided for their final workout to do it in honor of Trooper Griffith. They completed a 5k run with their partners, 100 burpees and a 400 meter canine carry.... This workout is now known as “The Drew” and will be done by all future classes as their rite of passage. 
 

L-R your Graduates are:
Officer Jamie Fanning & K9 Aki – Bangor PD
Trooper Barry Meserve & K9 Doyle – Troop E (Doyle was named in honor of former K9 trainer Trooper Doyle)
Trooper Jeffrey Taylor & K9 Oscar – Troop J
Corporal Seth Edwards – K9 trainer
Sergeant Scott Dalton & K9 Haro – Principal K9 trainer (Haro was named in honor of former Trooper Harold Erickson who left the State Police to fight in WWII where he lost his life.)
Trooper Adam Schmidt & K9 Ibo – Troop A (Trooper Schmidt has been on duty many hours in the Town of Lebanon)
Trooper Andrew Levesque & K9 Vitz – Troop F
Deputy Merl Reed & K9 Frankie – Waldo SO

Maine State Police Search for Stolen Boat.

Troop B of the Maine State Police is looking for your assistance. The boat pictured below was observed at a residence in the town of Gray several days ago.
It has since been confirmed that it was stolen from the Belgrade area.
Troopers responded back to the residence and discovered that the boat has been moved to an unknown location.
It is suspected that the boat is still in the Cumberland County area.
If you have seen this boat or have information on its location please call either Trooper Adam Fillebrown or Trooper Tyler Stevenson at 657-3030.
Thanks for your help

State Police Troop A (Alfred, York County) Search for Woman Who Tried to Gain Access to Bank Accounts with Stolen ID.

Maine State Police (Troop A, Alfred Barracks, York County) are looking to identify the female in the attached pictures. The individual in these photos attempted to gain access to the victim's bank account using stolen identification. Incident took place at a bank in Windham. Please contact Tpr. Jonathan Heimbach at 657-3030 if you know the identity of the suspect.

 

Maine State Police Recruiting Interested Individuals

The Maine State Police will be holding a career informational session on May 29th from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. This session will be located at the Orland Career Center located at 25 Schoolhouse Rd. in the town of Orland. The Maine State Police have Trooper openings statewide and are seeking qualified applicants who have a strong desire to serve the citizens of our great State! http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/jobs/trooper_recruitment.html

LIKE the Maine State Police on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mainestatepolice.headquarters?fref=ts

Trooper Michael Lane Happy to Join State Police and Complete His Training in Lebanon!

Trooper Lane happy to be training in Lebanon

By: Harrison Thorp

Published: May 4, 2015

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Maine State Police Trooper Michael Lane (Courtesy photo)

LEBANON - New Maine State Police Trooper Michael Lane said he couldn't be happier that he is completing his field training in Lebanon.
Lane received his State Police badge on April 10 after completing 10 weeks of specialized state police training at the Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, Maine.
"I love working in Lebanon," Lane said Sunday. "I was hoping this was the area where I'd be and was fortunate enough to get it."
Lane, who lives in York County, grew up in Medfield, Mass., and is a graduate of
Endicott College of Beverly where he was captain of the college's football team as a senior.

Thank you to Harrison Thorp of The Lebanon Voice for allowing this repost.........
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State of Maine Updates Sex Offender Registry.

Maine's Sex Offender Registry has been updated today and available for public viewing.
If you don't trust someone, always go with your gut.
It's your job to watch out for your children!! If your kids don't feel comfortable around someone, don't make them spend time alone with them.
Here is a link to Maine's Updated Sex Offender Registry.
http://sor.informe.org/cgi-bin/sor/step2.pl?id=44&last_name=&first_name=&city=%25

Here is a link to the Sex Offenders who are known to live in Lebanon, Maine.
http://sor.informe.org/cgi-bin/sor/step2.pl?city=Lebanon

Maine State Police Remind Us that Studded Snow Tires are Prohibited After May 1st.

A little word of warning from our Maine State Police...........
A lot of things are associated with May 1st. In 1873, the first US postal card was issued. In 1920, Babe Ruth hit his 1st home run as a New York Yankee. (Sorry Boston fans, but you are the ones that let him go) In 1931, the Empire State Building opened. Then, of course, is my personal favorite...May Basket Day!! Do kids still do that? May 1st, however also means something else to your Guardians of the Highway. Yes, it's time to remove your studded tires. I will tell you that studded tires on bare pavement make a very unique sound that police officers everywhere are familiar with.(That's my attempt at a subtle hint) So save our pavement and get those studs off this week. Plus, it's not very good for the studs and makes your car handle like an ocean liner at higher speeds. Drive safe and happy motoring.

Lebanon Fire and Rescue Departments Train on New JAWS of LIFE.

The Lebanon Fire and Rescue Departments participated in some pretty serious training today. The two departments gathered together to learn about, and practice on, the Town's new JAWS of Life equipment.
Our Fire and Rescue guys and gals were all dressed up in full gear for this training.
Three automobiles, 2 donated for this training by A.C. Provos Towing, and 1 donated by Lebanon Fire Dept. Captain Richard St. Cyr were used to get the feel for the new equipment only recently received by the Department after an order placed late last fall.
Assistant Chief Dan Roy and Captain Eric Neubert watched the training, stepping in at various points along the way to offer tips or to ask questions of the EMTs and Firefighters, and to point out things of interest to Selectman Paul Philbrick and me.

The Town did have a JAWS of Life which was traded in to cut the cost of this new equipment, which still cost the Fire Department's Contingency Fund in the area of $25,000.00. "This new equipment is far superior to the old equipment", said Roy, pointing out that the old JAWS had only one air driven tool which was much smaller, and used for cutting and prying, where this new set utilizes two separate tools, one especially for each action. The Department's old JAWS tool also utilized two separate air lines, one that brought the air to the tool, and the 2nd one as a return. While each of the new tools has only one line that goes to each tool, each line carrying inside it, both the delivery line and the outtake line.

The Fire and Rescue Department Volunteers on hand for the training commented on the ease of not having to continually untangle the hoses.

 Assistant Chief Roy explained, as cars are made smaller and smaller, the material used for their manufacturing must get tougher and tougher. The Boron used for the framework of a car today, can be cut, but as you cut through it, it actually gets stronger and stronger, gaining strength as the cut gets deeper into the framework. The new JAWS is made specifically to cut right through that metal and to gain quicker access to the victims inside the car.
As we watched, the team learned proper use of the struts, used to make the car more stable. After allowing the struts to be placed, the question was asked, "Now how do you gain access to the battery?" as the team had used a front hood position to secure the car. The point was made that it was a GREAT training as they had just learned a very valuable lesson!! Captain Neubert stepped in to show the team how a rear placement of the struts would have been a better choice.

As the training went on, care was taken to show how members of the Rescue Department would have gained access into the vehicle to assess a patient, cover them with a blanket to protect them from breaking glass, and stay with them to instruct them on what was being done as each step was taken to extricate them from the vehicle.

It was nice to see Fire Warden Skip Wood watching over the process, and one of our Maine State Police, along with bomb sniffing dog, Charlie, stopped by to take a peek as well. Also one of our new Rescue Volunteers was eager to take a look at the new equipment and although he has not completed his training, it was nice to see him there taking an interest!!

As the day turned into darkness, one by one, every member of the Lebanon Fire Department stepped up to try out the new equipment, learn about all that it could do, and practice on the donated vehicles. Different techniques were practiced and cut by cut the cars went from vehicles, into pieces.
Assistant Chief Roy said that there were a few Volunteers who could not be there tonight, but he assured us that they would have their turn to practice with the equipment, as this would not be the only training for the crew. He said that they would continue to train with the JAWS until every member had the chance to learn how to use it and feel comfortable with it.
He also pointed out that the more experienced members of the Departments were standing back, offering suggestions, and letting the newest and youngest members make decisions and have the most time with the equipment. This was done by design so that the younger volunteers would be able to make decisions and use the equipment quickly and efficiently should they be the first on the scene of a major wreck.
Thanks to all of our Volunteers for participating in this training and practice tonight!! A lot of information and instruction were being shared and by the time I left, it sure looked as though they were all getting a bit more comfortable with the use of the new equipment.