Lebanon Selectmen Receiving Three Separate Bids for Completetion of Lebanon Selectmen's Office Renovation

 

 

SEPARATE BIDS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE FOLLOWING:

ELECTRICAL REPAIR

SHEETROCK & PAINT

CARPETING

THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING BIDS IS FRIDAY, 1/29 AT 5:00 PM

THE SELECTMEN RESERVE THE RIGHT TO AWARD THE BIDS AT ANY TIME.

For More Information

Contact the Lebanon Town Office

207-457-6082  X 110

Selectmen's Assistant

 

 

 

Lebanon Boy Scouts to Deliver "Super Bowl Subs" for $7 each.

Lebanon Boy Scout Troop 369

 

is now accepting orders for

"Super Bowl Subs."

 

Door-to-door, phone and Internet sales will conclude

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016

 

Fully-loaded, handmade Italian-style submarine sandwiches on fresh-baked white or wheat rolls from Botto's Bakery in Portland.

 

 

 

The base price, which includes

choice of roll, one meat, one cheese and assorted vegetables,

$7 per 12-inch sandwich.

Payment will be collected with your order.

 

Choices of meats include ham, turkey, roast beef and salami.

Choices of cheeses include American, Swiss and Provolone.

Vegetable include tomatoes, pickles, peppers, onions and olives.

Mayo, mustard and oil packets also included.

Additional meats and cheeses

may be purchased for 50 cents each.

Subs will be prepared early Super Bowl Sunday

and delivered to your door before kickoff.

 

For more information

or to place your order before

Saturday, January 31st

please contact Scoutmaster Norm Sirois

at

normansirois@rocketmail.com

Local Residents Learn "How to Caucus", presented by the Friends of Bernie Sanders, at the Martha Sawyer Communiity Library.

The Friends of Bernie Sanders hosted an event at the Martha Sawyer Community Library - Lebanon, Maine on Wednesday night, January 20.

Marybeth Stocking, the coordinator for the event did a wonderful job of introducing the reasons why she was personally supporting Bernie Sanders and why she had asked for people to come to this meeting, to "Learn how to Caucus".....

The Chair of the Lebanon Democrats, Ellen Harris-Howard was in attendance to speak on what happens at a town caucus and why they were so important in the process of electing a president.

Many people were amazed at the importance of local caucus goers in the greater scheme of things.

The 23 or so people in attendance were not only from Lebanon, but came to our library from several other nearby towns as well.

In order to participate in the Democratic Caucus, attendees must be registered Democrats or have changed their party affiliation to Democrat at least 15 day prior to the Caucus. The Town Clerk is also in attendance for people who are not registered at all to vote, or who are registered as "Unenrolled" who are able to enter their party affiliation as Democrat on the day of the Caucus.

The day of the Caucus, Lebanon residents will gather at the Lebanon Fire and EMS Station 1 on Depot Road on Sunday, March 6th, 2016 beginning at 1:00 pm

In some caucus situations, residents are sent to separate corners to hear from each candidate's representatives, however in Lebanon we are not blessed with a meeting room quite large enough to do that. So registered Democrats will gather and hear from their candidates representatives all in one room, seated in small groups.

Because, according to Ms. Harris-Howard, Maine is not a "winner take all" state, the delegates for each town are chosen based on that town's voting preferences at the end of the caucus. In 2012, for example, Lebanon had 6 delegates, although I am still unsure of the candidates that were chosen by the Caucus.

Those delegates are chosen by the caucus group as a whole, to attend the York County Caucus, where the whole procedure is repeated, and delegates chosen from the County to attend the State Caucus, and from there, delegates chosen to attend the National Democratic Convention.

Bettie Harris-Howard, who serves as the Secretary for the Lebanon group, said that there are usually 5 or 6 delegates from Lebanon who attend at the county level, but reminds residents interested in this process that they are responsible for their own transportation and expenses for all of these events.

Ms. Stocking, Ms. Ellen Harris-Howard and Ms. Bettie Harris-Howard all reminded the event goers that the point of the caucus is to help define which Democratic candidate(s) the State would be supporting at the National Convention, asking each person present to bring 5 friends along with them to the town's Caucus

"We are all Democrats at the Caucus," said Bettie Harris-Howard, "and we all want a Democratic Candidate to win, so there's no animosity at the Caucus. It's a pretty friendly place to go and be part of the process."  Ellen Harris Howard added that the group was also planning to have light refreshments available for the afternoon event.

 The group also noted that you can caucus via absentee ballot by filling out the following form and requesting an absentee ballot be sent to you via mail or e mail

You can request an absentee Democratic Caucus ballot via the Maine Dems website by clicking HERE:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CDSfyIqjmJGPpbpzUYY4mHD1_FC3Vv8aWifn4rBGGeY/viewform?c=0&w=1

 

Governor signs anti-drug bill LD 1537 into law

01/19/2016 02:35 PM EST

Upon delivery to his desk of LD 1537 today, Governor Paul R. LePage immediately signed the anti-drug bill, LD 1537, into law.

"I'm pleased the House and Senate incorporated the common-sense recommendations of the minority report," said Governor LePage. "I had expressed concerns about funding sources and the grant-making authority, but I thank legislative leadership for their willingness to broker changes that both the administration and the legislature could support. To be clear, this bill is just the first step in a process that needs a much more comprehensive approach."

Maine Forestry Service Offers Webinar - Ecology and Identification of Common Northeastern Conifers

Are you interested in learning more about Maine's forests and landscapes?
This interesting webinar, offered by the Maine Forestry Service will help you learn about the many varieties of Common Northeastern Conifers (trees that have cones or cone shaped seed pods).
GREAT information for ecology minded people, people interested in furthering their education on Maine woodlots and woodlands.
Be sure to register early, while space is unlimited, a registration ID is required to participate!!

Wednesday January 20, 2016 at 12:00 pm 

Conifer trees are a common feature of woodlots, forests and landscapes.  The value and qualities of trees are determined in part by the type of tree.  Knowing the principles of tree identification will help owners appreciate the value of trees and the types of benefits those trees might provide. This presentation will cover the core principles of tree identification, including how to use twigs, buds, bark, fruit (cones), growth habit, habitat (and even leaves) for identification.  Knowledge of these principles will help participants learn how to identify a wide range of trees.  Several common trees will be used to illustrate the principles. Presented by Dr. Peter Smallidge, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.

SAF CFE credits have been requested or have been approved. 

If you have not previously joined a webinar, you should evaluate your connection with a test meeting here http://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

If you have trouble registering or connecting please contact Cisco WebEx technical support at 1-866-229-3239 (U.S. and Canada Toll-Free; 24/7). 

Instructions:

1. Read all these instructions.
2. You need a personal registration ID to join this month’s webinar.  There is unlimited space for participants, the ID simply provides you the necessary access code.  Obtain your registration ID via:   https://cornell.webex.com/cornell/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6d63bfb75084a897b3ecebc0d920c792 If prompted for a password, use            C0rne11F0rest      (the word “CornellForest” except the o = zero= 0 and L = the number 1; the numbers are in red font).
3. On the webpage where the above link takes you, look for the option to “register” to receive your “registration id” number.  Note this page also includes the option to download resources related to this webinar (if available).
4. Wait for the email that contains your personal “registration id” number (a couple minutes at most usually).
5. Pasted below is an example of the email you will receive after following the preceding steps.
6. As illustrated in my example below, join the webinar via the “click here” button to open into your default web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Firefox).  The “click here” button should open into the webinar, or display a page indicating the webinar is not active.  If the webinar is not active, that means the host isn’t connected and you will need to wait until the host connects.  If the page opens into a rather generic “Cisco WebEx” page then your browser may not be compatible with WebEx and you should copy and paste the full link (see example below, it follows “click here”) into an alternate web browser.  Using an alternate web browser usually solves most connection problems.
7. Test the sound capacity of your computer by accessing a website with sound (e.g., video clip on a news website, Youtube, etc.). 
8. As you enter the webinar, you may be asked to test your media player.  If so, you will need to complete that step.
9. As you enter the webinar, you will be given the option to download software; you can bypass that step and enter the webinar directly.  

Maine Department of Health and Human Services Outlines Changes to ASPIRE Program

 

 

 

AUGUSTA - In the Department of Health and Human Services' continued effort to help families achieve independence, the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and ASPIRE program is set to undergo some important changes this year.

The changes will create a more streamlined system to help families, provide one-on-one assistance and allow them to find employment more effectively and efficiently. The services offered by the program will be intensely focused on moving TANF/ASPIRE families toward self-sufficiency and out of poverty.

Currently, Maine's TANF program faces nearly $29 million in federal penalties because benefit recipients have not met required federal TANF work participation rates over several years, dating back to 2007. This issue must be addressed with aggressive action steps. The LePage Administration introduced legislation twice over the past two years to solve this problem by eliminating exceptions in state law to the federal work participation requirement, but members of the Democratic Party denied that solution both times.

Beginning in mid-2016, the Department will contract with a partner who will support family and employment services through technology, innovation and collaboration with established business and community partners. The Office for Family Independence will continue to determine eligibility and issue support services as well as other administrative duties. The contracted partner will be determined through a formal Request for Proposal process set to begin this month.

Other states have taken similar action and found success within the first year. Under the new model, TANF/ASPIRE families will receive comprehensive assessments, job readiness training and development, transportation and other support services, along with immediate engagement from a dedicated case management team.

In August, the Department received a letter from the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) informing the state that it would need to pay the first penalty of the $29 million currently assessed. The amount totaled $1.16 million and will need to be paid with state funds. The letter is the first of its kind sent to Maine and demonstrates the real financial liability associated with continued failure to meet the federal work requirements.

"Despite repeated failures by the legislature to address this problem with law changes, we are moving forward with this reform. The $29 million in looming federal penalties can no longer be ignored, and our clients must be provided with the best service available to help them get back to work. The Department looks forward to the positive changes coming to the program and what it means for TANF/ASPIRE families working toward a life of independence," explained DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew.

The Department has operated the program with diligence within the current rule structure and system to address performance in this program. The Department has determined the necessary step is to add significant resources to engage clients one-on-one with education, skill-building and work readiness activities.

Obituary: Craig Alan Robinson Sr.

Craig Alan Robinson, Sr. (July 18, 1970 - January 14, 2016)           Lebanon, Maine: Craig Alan Robinson, Sr., age 45, of Lebanon, Maine, died January 14, 2016 at home with his dog Barkley by his side. He spent his last days bringing everyone together and making them laugh. Born July 18, 1970 in Oakland, Maine to Ethel E. (Hatch) and Joseph M. Robinson, he grew up in Lebanon, Maine and went to Noble High School in Berwick, Maine. Craig loved spending time with family and friends. He meant well with everything he did. An excellent carpenter and comedian, he loved hunting and loved Dale Earnhardt and Earnhardt, Jr. He enjoyed fishing with his friend Scott Mayotte and there was never a dull moment hanging out and laughing with his best friends: Shawn and Lori Ellis. Survived by his mother Ethel Knowles, two children, the love of his life, daughter Stephanie Robinson of Lebanon, Maine and son Craig A. Robinson, Jr. and grandson Grayson of Effingham, NH, 2 sisters: Donna with husband Billy Cook of Oakland, Maine, JoAnne with husband Robert Lemire, Sr., of Waltham, Maine, also nieces and nephews. Predeceased by 3 brothers: Steven Robinson, Ronnie Robinson and Sumner Knowles,Jr., stepfather: Sumner Knowles,Sr. father: Joseph Robinson and nephew: Steven Robinson, Jr. A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday January 21, 2016 at 11am at Peaslee Funeral Home, 24 Central Street in Farmington, NH, with a calling hour prior to the service from 10-11am. Interment will be in the spring at Milton Mills Cemetery