AG MILLS ISSUES ADVICE FOR CONSUMERS FOLLOWING EXPERIAN BREACH OF T-MOBILE USERS' DATA

 

10/06/2015 10:27 AM EDT

(AUGUSTA) Following reports that an unauthorized party was able to gain access to an Experian server that contained the personal information of more than 15 million T-Mobile users, including 12,068 Maine residents, Attorney General Janet T. Mills today offered consumers tips to guard against potential identity theft. "The Maine Attorney General's Office takes this breach very seriously and we are encouraging any T-Mobile customer to take pro-active steps to protect themselves from potential ID theft," Attorney General Mills said. "We anticipate working with Attorneys General across the country on this matter and have been in touch with representatives of Experian and T-Mobile. Experian is offering affected customers free credit monitoring for two years; I strongly advise any affected T-Mobile customers to take them up on this offer." According to T-Mobile and the credit reporting company Experian, the breach compromised data that was used by T-Mobile in connection with credit checks of individuals who applied for T-Mobile services from Sept. 1, 2013 through Sept. 16, 2015. The data included name, address, birthdate, Social Security numbers, other ID numbers (such as driver's license, military ID, or passport numbers), and additional information used in T-Mobile's credit assessment. The Maine Attorney General's Office offers consumers the following tips to guard against identity theft: Monitor your credit report. You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (you can request one free report from a different bureau every four months to monitor throughout the year). Request a "fraud alert" be placed on your on your accounts to alert you to any attempts to open a line of credit in your name by calling one of the national credit bureaus before they are approved. When you call, an initial fraud alert (90 days) will be placed on your credit report and a free copy of your credit report will be sent to you.

Consider placing a "security freeze" on your credit report to prohibit the release of any information from your report without your written authorization. (A freeze is currently subject to a fee, however a new law eliminates that fee after October 15, 2015).

Beware of phishing attempts and unsolicited calls or emails offering credit monitoring or identity theft services. Consumers should never provide their social security number, credit card or other personal information in response to unsolicited emails or calls.

If you find unexplained activity on your credit reports or if you believe you are the victim of identity theft, there are important steps to take to protect yourself. Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-436-2131, review the Attorney General's Identity Theft webpage, contact regulators at the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at 1-800-DEBT-LAW, or view the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft resource, available at: www.identitytheft.gov .

Meet Your New Lebanon Fire and EMS Assistant Chief, Dan Mathews!!

Lebanon Fire and EMS Assistant Chief Dan Mathews

Just who is your new Lebanon Fire and EMS Assistant Chief??
Well, His name is Dan Mathews and he's friendly, and humble and completely capable.
Assistant Chief Dan Mathews is now your second in command at the Lebanon Fire EMS Station and he's glad to have the opportunity to serve in our community and work toward promoting Firefighter and EMT Health, Safety, Education and Training.
I had the chance to meet Assistant Chief Mathews at Station 1 at the corner of Depot Road and Upper Cross Road on a cool and sunny Sunday afternoon.
Mathews, just in from a rescue call requesting additional manpower on the scene, seemed laid back, friendly and we quickly established a few common interests in things like beekeeping, the outdoors and community service.
Mathews, who comes to Lebanon Fire and EMS while still maintaining a 29 year full time career as a Captain with the Natick Massachusetts Fire and EMS (16 of those years as an officer), lives just over the Lebanon border in East Rochester, however for those of you who have heard the stories regarding him being Chief Meehan's neighbor or long time friend, those are rumors and not the truth. While the two do share the same zip code, Meehan lives on the Milton side of town and Mathews lives on the Berwick side of town. The two have traveled in very similar circles, as Mathews long time girlfriend is a full time firefighter for Rochester, however Mathews says that he and Meehan have never known one another on a  personal level, and their interactions have usually been limited to retirement parties and Rochester Fire Department functions.
Knowing that Chief Meehan was a new Chief here in town, and having watched the news and social media reports on Lebanon Fire and Lebanon Rescue since arriving in East Rochester, Mathews approached Meehan one day and offered his help during the transition of merging of the two departments. "I never really wanted to join the department," states Mathews, "I was just seeing so much bad press and wanted to offer my assistance."
As a Maine town that has dug its heels in with regards to "people from away" and change, Mathews felt that his 29 years of training and experience could be of help to the new Chief as he struggled to meet many years of neglected equipment maintenance issues, questionable credits in training operations, and a list of daunting OSHA violations that were piled on the Chief's desk demanding immediate attention.
Mathews says that about a month ago, Chief Meehan gave him a call and advised him of the opening of the Assistant Chief's position in Lebanon and encouraged him to apply. After giving the option some thought and realizing that he had the opportunity to really help a newly organizing department gain some education and operations techniques, Mathews says that he came and applied for the position, and after an interview process, background check and physical exam he was hired.
Within an hour after his receiving the keys, radio and equipment at Lebanon, Mathews was on his way home when a call came in for a structure fire on River Road, so he turned down the road and was the first on scene.
Since we were on the subject of the fire on River Road, I took that opportunity to ask the Assistant Chief what he thought while watching his new department in action? Mathews says they were all competent and hard working and the partnership with local Mutual Aid responders was easy and well managed. In speaking of that day, Mathews relates that Rochester, a full time Fire Department, was first on the scene, but Lebanon responders weren't far behind with Milton's engines coming in from the opposite direction. "They got the fire knocked down quickly, working together." he said, "That's the great part about Automatic Mutual Aid"
I questioned him on the claims that our department should have had both ambulances on scene immediately and he said that Ambulance 2 was on the scene immediately and staged for rehab. (In Fire and EMS terms, "rehab" is when the ambulance stands by in the event that a firefighter is in need of hydration, oxygen, or is hurt by falling debris or is burned) "It's very important that they're there and remain there," he stated, adding that of course in the event of an immediate injury, the first ambulance on the scene attends to the patient and transports with subsequent ambulances taking up the rehab responsibility.
In the River Road event, the resident was tended to immediately and professionally, according to Mathews, but declined the need for further assistance. However, as time passed, the resident reconsidered treatment, and Frisbie Memorial Hospital's EMS unit was requested to the scene for transport.
When questioned with regard to the Blaidell Corner Station 2 apparatus not being utilized prior to Mutual Aid trucks being called in, Mathews just smiled and stated that it would be "kind of unnecessary to have a Forestry vehicle at a structure fire," adding once again that he thought the Mutual Aid response that evening was "awesome".
So what exactly does an Assistant Chief do for a department? Mathews says that his job is geared toward the operations issues of the department with main focus being the training of the Firefighters and EMTs who work for Lebanon, saying that he and the Chief have been focusing on a weekly training schedule. While most of his credentials are at Mass State, and National level, there are a few EMS licenses that he still must obtain through the  State of Maine EMS, and he has been working to get any needed paperwork and testing completed. While he will not be covering shifts until his EMS credentials are all recognized by the state, he is on call for Fire Duty and as added manpower for EMS calls, but his confidence in his new Department shows in his statement, "Lebanon has some well qualified people," he stated, "they are able to handle every call and they really know what they're doing." Mathews adds that as the Assistant Chief he is second in command on any active scene and assumes command if the Chief is unavailable at the time. Is Mathews qualified to assume this command? You bet!!
Mathews is a 2005 graduate of  The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and University of Massachusetts' Donahue Institute Chief Fire Officer Management Program. Although getting more information regarding his education was difficult, as he said that he didn't want to sound boastful, during our discussion, more and more was revealed. Mathews is a Certified Hazmat Technician, and has been a part of the Massachusetts State Hazmat Response Team for 22 years. He is not only a Mass State Certified EMT-I, but a National Registry Certified EMT-I, and is currently enrolled in a transition course at Mass Bay Community College to obtain his EMT Advanced Certificate. He's a National Level Certified Health and Safety Officer and a National Level Fire Fighter Instructor I, National Fire Inspector II, and National Level Fire Officer II, through the Massachusetts Fire Academy.
If you think that those credentials should give Mathews something to boast about, this writer would certainly agree, however Mathews comes by it all honestly, coming from a family heavy with Civil Service background. His Dad, served on the Natick, Mass Fire Department and Grandfather and Great Grandfather were both Patrolmen on the Natick, Massachusetts Police Department , with his Great Grandfather killed in service. Mathews also boasts 2 Uncles who served as Massachusetts State Police Officers, with one losing his life in the line of duty.
Asked how he felt about seeing his photo and Massachusetts salary posted publicly during his first month with the Department, Mathews seemed to take it all in stride, "I guess it's all public knowledge anyway," he said, adding that he was a bit disappointed to see his photo, lifted without permission from his private facebook page, on the a Lebanon social media page.
Regarding the most positive things he's seen in his first month as Lebanon Assistant Chief? Mathews gives credit to his responders once again, his Chief, and the work they've done to bring down response times, and make a closer relationship with the Mutual Aid community. "The reliance on EMS Mutual Aid is way down," said Mathews, "and that's good."
Welcome to Lebanon, Assistant Chief Dan Mathews!!
We're happy and proud you've chosen to serve in Lebanon and are looking forward to the level of education and experience you bring to our Fire and EMS station table!!
Assistant Chief Mathews encourages residents to ask questions or simply say hello by e mailing him at danmathews@lebanonfireems.org

Governor LePage Urges Mainers to Watch for Updated Weather Forecasts over Weekend

 

Hurricane Joaquin to Remain Far Off East Coast

October 2, 2015
For Immediate Release: Friday, October 2, 2015 Contact: Maine Emergency Management: Kathleen Rusley, (207) 620-0960; MaineDOT: Jon Nass, Deputy Commissioner, (207) 557-0923
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage joined Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and other state, county, local and private-sector emergency partners today for a conference call with the National Weather Service (NWS) to get an update on the path of Hurricane Joaquin and its potential impact to the State of Maine. NWS predicts the hurricane will stay well off the East Coast and Maine.
“Although the National Weather Services has confidence in forecasting models showing the storm staying out to sea, I urge Mainers to pay close attention to the latest weather forecasts and warnings as updated information becomes available over the weekend,” said Governor LePage. “Flooding events from heavy rainstorms this past week should serve as a reminder to all of us of the importance of being prepared for an emergency.”
Hurricane Joaquin is classified as a Category 4 hurricane, located near the Bahamas. NWS anticipates the Maine coast will experience strong storm surges and possible rip tides as the hurricane moves further away from the east coast Monday and into mid-week. Citizens should take extreme caution when walking along the coastline.
“Maine should see no significant rain or wind impacts from Hurricane Joaquin,” said Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Bruce Fitzgerald. “However, the National Weather Service is cautioning of very strong surf along the coast of Maine early next week.”
MaineDOT reports all roads closed due to flooding from the storms earlier in the week are open. However, additional repair work on some damaged roads continues.
“The best way for the public to get updated information on road conditions and closures is from the Maine 511 system,” said MaineDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt. “You can sign up for email alerts, as well as view interactive road maps with real time conditions, on the Maine 511 website.”
The Atlantic hurricane season officially lasts until November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. Winter storm events can begin as early as late October in northern parts of the State.
“This is the time of year in Maine when conditions can become extremely dangerous for driving and motorists must start being vigilant about safety,” said MEMA Director Fitzgerald. “I was particularly concerned by some of the images of vehicles driving and people wading through flooded waters reported during the last storm. Citizens should never attempt to walk, swim or drive on or through flooded roadways.”
“Never underestimate the dangers of flood water,” said Governor LePage. “It is impossible to tell the exact depth of water covering a flooded roadway or the condition of the road below the water. Always look for an alternate route.”

TOWN OF LEBANON -- PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE -- TRAIN'S TAVERN SPECIAL AMUSEMENT PERMIT

Town of Lebanon

 

 

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

(207) 457-6082

(207) 457-6067

A Hearing will be held at the Lebanon Town Office, 15 Upper Guinea Rd,

Lebanon, Maine on Monday the 5th day of October, 2015 at 5:00 P.M. by the Municipal Officers for approval of the following:

Special Amusement Permit

Trains Tavern

Paul Pelletier, Proprietor

249 Carl Broggi Hwy Lebanon, Maine

The public is invited to attend and comment.

Dated this 11th day of September, 2015

Mandy Grenier - Town Clerk

The 14 Referendum Questions Approved for your November 3, 2015 Town of Lebanon Ballot.

 

 

 

Would you like to know how your Selectmen voted to recommend the Referendum articles to the voting public??

Here's how it went!!

There are a total of 14 Referendum Questions.

 

Referendum 1. Proposed by the Lebanon Planning Board to eliminate an ongoing discrepancy between what the current MAP and TEXT say, in order to use the FEMA map created by a Federal agency.

Select Board Chairman Thompson YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 2. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for Building Licenses, Permits and Applications on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 3. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Zoning Code Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 4. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Message and Sexual Conduct Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 5. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Dog Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 6. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Waste Disposal Facility Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau NO

 

 

Referendum 7. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Mass Gathering Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau NO

 

Referendum 8. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine. This question moves to take the outdated fees out of the town's ordinance language, allowing the Selectmen to set the fees for the Special Amusement Ordinance on a yearly basis to help contain the costs to the taxpayers in general, asking instead that these costs be paid by the people actually utilizing the services.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 9. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine and Mike Beaullieu, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer. This question moves to create a permitting and regulation structure for any and all Festivals and Events expecting more than 250 people in attendance. It includes requirements for toileting facilities, parking, water, and a 30 day advanced notice for permit applications.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath YES

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 10. Proposed by Mike Beaullieu, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer. This question moves to create a standard of 16 inches on center for all non load bearing interior walls.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 11. Proposed by Mike Beaullieu, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer. This question moves to take the 2 year expiration date of currently issued Lebanon Building Permits and have them expire after 1 year with the possibility of an extension upon review by the Code Enforcement Officer.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

Referendum 12. Proposed by Mike Beaullieu, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer. This question moves to create the need for an Electrical Permit and Inspection process for all new construction, additions, and remodels.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau NO

 

Referendum 13. Proposed by Mandy Grenier, Town Clerk of Lebanon Maine and Mike Beaullieu, Lebanon Code Enforcement Officer. This question moves to require applicants for a Mass Gathering Permit to submit their application no later than thirty (30) days prior to the event.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath NO

Selectman Paul Nadeau NO

 

 

Referendum 14. Proposed by the Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen. This question moves to authorize the removal of the wall between the current Selectmen's Meeting office and the current Code Enforcement Officer's office in order to create a larger public meeting room at the Town Office.

Select Board Chairman Thompson, YES

Selectman Royce Heath YES

Selectman Paul Nadeau YES

 

The Lebanon Budget Committee voted 4 in favor and 2 opposed

Chip Harlow, Bettie Harris Howard, Nancy Neubert, and Skip Wood in favor

and Chris Gilpatrick and Laura Bragg opposed

(see video of Budget Committee Meeting of 9/10/15)

Maine Fall Foliage Report......... For the week of September 30, 2015

Maine Fall Foliage Report
September 30, 2015

Upcoming Weather May Speed Along Foliage

 

 

Augusta, MAINE (September 30, 2015) - Maine’s fall foliage is turning, but the best is still yet to come during the next three weeks, according to Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
“Pockets of color are emerging throughout all seven zones, but overall the state is just about 10 percent to 30 percent toward peak. With the upcoming forecast calling for rain over the next several days, we could start to see a rapid color change throughout northern and central Maine. The rest of the state is still tracking a bit behind with peak conditions possibly arriving mid to late October,” according to Gale Ross, fall foliage coordinator.
Don’t let a little rain scare you away from the opening weekend of the 165th Annual Fryeburg Fair. Maine’s largest fair begins this weekend on Oct. 4 and includes livestock, exhibition halls, a farm museum, craft demonstrations, harness racing, heart-pounding rides and big-name nightly entertainment, like Craig Wayne Boyd – winner of the television show The Voice – and Clint Black.
Living History Days at the Maine Forest and Logging Museum at Leonard’s Mills in Bradley. This weekend, Oct. 3 and 4, visitors are invited to explore and learn more about Maine’s lumbering heritage. There will be a 20^th Maine Civil War encampment, wagon rides, a Lombard log hauler running on steam, 1790s demonstrations and encampment, and of course, their famous bean hole beans will be ready to devour.
Leaf peepers can visit the state’s official foliage website at www.mainefoliage.com and sign up to receive weekly reports by email. Visitors and natives can share their photos throughout the state as the progression of color begins.
For more information about fall activities and events in Maine, go to www.visitmaine.com.

State AGs call for passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act

 

 

09/29/2015 03:59 PM EDT

(AUGUSTA) As states continue to address the epidemic of heroin and opioid-based painkiller abuse and addiction and its devastating effect on public health and safety in communities, Attorney General Janet T. Mills is joining attorneys general from 37 states and the District of Columbia today, in a bi-partisan letter to the leadership of the committees on the Judiciary for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives urging passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (S. 524/HR 953). The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act would provide states with the tools to confront the growing challenge of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now surpass automobile accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 64. More than 100 Americans die as a result of overdose in this country every day - more than half of them caused by prescription drugs or heroin. In Maine in 2014 a record number of people died from drug overdose - 208. Heroin, fentanyl and prescription opiates are the primary cause of these deaths in Maine. "We know that addiction is a treatable disease, but we also know that only about 10 percent of those who need treatment are receiving it. And, while heroin and opioid abuse are the primary concern for states right now, we must move beyond simple responses to drug trends and emerging threats, and concentrate on improving addiction treatment and recovery nationwide," said Attorney General Mills. In the letter, the attorneys general write, "Law enforcement has always been on the frontline when it comes to drug crises, but we cannot arrest ourselves out of this epidemic. Research shows the best way to address this challenge is through a strategy that includes prevention, law enforcement, reduction of overdose deaths, evidence-based treatment, and support for those in, or seeking, recovery."

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 will: Expand prevention and educational efforts - particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations - to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery; Expand the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives; Expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders and by providing evidence-based treatment; Expand disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of children and adolescents; Launch an evidence-based opioids and heroin treatment and intervention program to assist in treatment and recovery throughout the country; and Strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services. "Only through a comprehensive approach that leverages evidence-based law enforcement and health care services, including treatment, can we stop and reverse the epidemic of drug addiction and death," added Attorney General Mills.