Firefighters Raise Money to Repair Aging Mt. Agameticus Fire Tower.

By Nick Hilton and submitted for publication to Lebanon Truth Seekers.

The Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower sits atop a small hill in York, ME, on the southern most tip of the state.  The tower is one of only three in the State of Maine that are still manned each year by volunteers. All of the other fire towers throughout the state are vacant and falling apart.

In 1991, after the Maine Forest Service closed all of the fire towers throughout the state and replaced them with airplane patrols, a small group of firefighters from the area got together and decided to keep these three towers active. They believed that a firetower in a fixed location was more effective in spotting fires than an airplane that travels through the area only once or twice a day.  Through the efforts of this small group of volunteers, the Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower, Mt. Hope Fire Tower in Sanford ME, and the Ossippee Hill Fire Tower in Waterboro, ME were refurbished and staffed each season.

The Fire Towers play a vital role in the southern portion of the state when it comes to spotting outside fires before they become too large and out of control. With the amount of new homes being built within heavily wooded areas, it is even more important these days to have these towers active during dry seasons. Currently this year the Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower has spotted 10 fires along the southern portion of Maine and New Hampshire and has logged 65 man-hours in 12 days.

  Fire Tower on top of Mt. Agamenticus, photo supplied by Nick Hilton

Currently the Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower is owned by the Maine Forest Service, but they rely on the volunteers to maintain the upkeep of the tower in order for us to be able to staff it with volunteers.  It has been years since we have had any sort of funding to maintain the tower.  After a few very harsh winters, the Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower is in serious trouble.  The stairs leading up to the cab need to be replaced, as well as each landing. The wood boards are falling apart and you can see through many of them.  The cabin is in even worse shape.  The cabin, the most important part of the whole operation, needs new windows, new siding, no interior walls and floors and a completely new catwalk around the cabin.  Several windows are completely broken out and are temporarily fixed with pieces of plexiglass.  The maps in the tower are outdated, dating back to the 1940s.  Finding new maps that will match the scale of the triangulation equipment was next to impossible 10 or 15 years ago. However, with new technology available today, it may be possible to find, but we don’t know what the cost would be.  The radio equipment is outdated and needs to be replaced. The radios are vital when it comes to reporting a fire to the responsible agency.

Our goal is to raise enough funding to completely rebuild all of the stairs and the cabin through donations and crowd funding as well as replace outdated equipment. This Fire Tower benefits all cities and towns throughout the southern Maine and New Hampshire areas at no cost to any agency. Please take a minute and donate to this cause. Any amount will help.      

 

A GoFundMe account has been set up for this fundraising purpose.

Please go and help fund this worthwhile fundraising effort.

You can find the GoFundMe account here........... http://www.gofundme.com/u5tqtg

A Connecticut Man Has Been Indicted on Burglary and Stalking Charges Stemming from a Lebanon Incident.

Ct. man indicted in Lebanon burglary, stalking case

By: Staff reports

Published: May 9, 2015

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ALFRED, Maine - A Connecticut man with a long criminal history has been indicted on two felony and five misdemeanor charges stemming from a February burglary in Lebanon.
Michael Crowley, 57, of 43 Willow St., Mystic, is charged in a Feb. 20 incident that also led to charges against him of stalking/injury, stalking/damage to property, and making harassing or obscene phone calls.
The address of the burglary was not available.
Crowley was convicted of similar crimes in 2008 and 2012.
Both felony indictments carry a maximum prison term of 10 years apiece.
The York County grand jury indictments were handed down earlier this week.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that enough evidence has been gathered to warrant a trial.



Lebanon Truth Seekers thanks Harrison Thorp of The Lebanon Voice for allowing this repost. You can LIKE The Lebanon Voice on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lebanon-Voice/325841647482468?fref=ts

Traffic Snarled on Rt 202 in East Rochester as Car Collides with House.

Car collides with house on Rt 202 across from Dunkin Donuts in E. Rochester

 

We're hoping everyone's okay. What a mess!! The whole front of the house has shifted!

This happened right around 11:20 this morning and Rochester and Farmington Police were still on the scene, measuring and making their reports when I came back though at 1 pm.

 

 

 

From The Lebanon Voice, North Berwick Man Indicted on Lebanon Criminal Threatening Charges.

Man faces prison in Lebanon criminal threat case

By: Harrison Thorp

Published: May 8, 2015

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Jem R. MacDougall (York County Jail photo)

ALFRED, Maine - A North Berwick man has been indicted in a criminal threatening case involving a weapon that occurred in Lebanon.
Jem R. MacDougall, 21, of 348 High St., is charged with felony criminal threatening in the incident as well as criminal mischief.
State Police Trooper James MacDonald said on Wednesday he couldn't reveal much about the case as it is going through the courts, but said MacDougall's actions the day of Feb. 17 caused someone in an Indian Lake Drive household to "fear for their safety."
The criminal mischief charge is a result of damage MacDougall allegedly did to a residence door.
He faces up to five years in state prison for the criminal threatening charge and a year in jail for criminal mischief.
The York County grand jury indictments were handed down Tuesday and released on Thursday.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that enough evidence has been gathered to warrant a trial.

Only 12 Registered Lebanon Voters Attend Q&A on MSAD60 District Budget.

There were only 12 registered voters from Lebanon, at the MSAD60 School District Budget Meeting tonight. Two Lebanon Town Office people attended and our 3 School Board members. A total of 18 people from Lebanon.
But Lebanon wasn't the only town with low attendance. The budget was passed on to the School District's voters by a written ballot, 47 yes and 8 no.  Fifty six registered voters in all, including town officers, from three towns, and 9 school board members. 
Passed on to the School District's voters, a budget of $13,913,136.00, which was agreed upon in just 45 minutes with no controversy. 
There was discussion on Article 8 about the new GPS and camera systems which will be in place on all buses when school starts in September and some discussion on Article 12, which involved correcting a math error for the Berwick total raised, which is actually $5,432,756.
Just a reminder...polls at the Lebanon Elementary School will be open from 8am-8pm next Tuesday, May 12, 2015, for the townsfolk to vote on their approval for the school year budget.
This report given by Rebecca Beal. 5/7/15

Check Your Carbon Monoxide Alarms! Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Kills in Fair Weather Too!!

Carbon monoxide is called the "silent killer" because you can't see it or smell it.
Carbon monoxide detectors cost less than $50 at any big box store, and are simple to install; they plug into any outlet and do not need to be positioned high like smoke detectors. There are even some devices that detect both smoke and carbon monoxide that are found to be very effective as well.
In the Spring, with furnaces going off during the day and kicking off again at night, carbon monoxide can build up inside your home without you even knowing it.
Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood do not burn fully. Burning charcoal, running cars and the smoke from cigarettes also produce carbon monoxide gas.
Gas, oil, coal and wood are sources of fuel used in many household appliances, as well as gas powered grills that are mistakenly left in the ON position and and not ventilated properly.
The main cause of accidental exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) is household appliances, such as cooking and heating devices, which have been damaged, incorrectly installed or badly maintained.
The risk of exposure to carbon monoxide from portable devices may also be higher in caravans, boats and mobile homes.
Other possible causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include:

• blocked flues and chimneys – this can stop carbon monoxide escaping, allowing it to reach dangerous levels.
• burning fuel in an enclosed or unventilated space – for example, running a car engine, petrol-powered generator or barbecue inside a garage, or a faulty boiler in an enclosed kitchen
• faulty or blocked car exhausts – a leak or a blockage in the exhaust pipe, such as after heavy snowfall, could lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide
• paint fumes – some cleaning fluids and paint removers contain methylene chloride (dichloromethane), which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if breathed in
• smoking shisha pipes indoors – shisha pipes burn charcoal and tobacco, which can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide in enclosed or unventilated rooms

Just because the winter is over, does not mean the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are over. Check your chimneys for debris like birds nests and it's a good idea to have them cleaned after the long Winter burning season.

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.