News Briefs

Middle School Septic System
The Monument: What happened with the Middle School Septic last week? The septic company truck was spotted there.

SAD 15 Superintendent
On Wednesday [February 11] the Middle School students had to be shuttled to the high school to use the restrooms. (Thank you high school!). The pipes that take the sewage water to the tank froze. In addition, the leach field is also partially frozen. (They say that this is a first.)

[Maintenance Director]George Litrocapes has been steaming the pipes and watching the sewage system until the ground thaws. They are prepared to pump out the septic tanks as often as necessary to keep the middle school operational.

They are operating the pumps manually so that they can monitor where the water and waste are going. George is moving as many community activities as possible out of the middle school and into the high school until the ground thaws.


Representative Austin Reminds Hunters Applications for Moose Permit Lottery Due by April 1

Augusta-- Representative Susan Austin (R-Gray) reminds those interested in taking part in next fall's moose hunting season that they must submit their lottery applications to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife by April 1. The Department will hold a drawing in mid-June to determine the 2,895 permits that will be issued for the 2004 season.

This year's drawing for moose permits is open to those who are eligible to obtain a Maine Big Game Hunting License or will be eligible by the opening day of the moose hunting season. Hunters must be at least 10 years old by the opening day of the season and people who had a permit in the 2002 or 2003 season are not eligible for this year's drawing.

Those interested in increasing their odds of obtaining a permit can purchase additional chances. Maine residents can purchase three chances for $13 and six chances for $23. Multiple chance resident applicants must possess a valid Maine Big Game License.

Those interested in applying for a moose permit may request an application by calling the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 287-8000. Applications can also be filled out on-line at http://www.informe.org/ifw/moosepermit.html.

People with questions or in need of assistance can contact State Representative Austin at 657-4100.

Governor Announces First Lady's Web Site

AUGUSTA - Governor John E. Baldacci and the First Lady announced today that her Internet web site is now available on-line. The web page offers information about the First Lady's initiatives on behalf of children, health care, literacy, the arts and Maine products and produce. Maine citizens can access detailed information on nutrition and education. A number of important state programs to assist health care consumers, students and parents can also be obtained from the site. The First Lady's web page is accessible from the State of Maine Internet site

http://www.maine.gov/firstlady/
and the Governor's page http://www.maine.gov/governor

USM to Host Annual Northern New England Science Bowl
The University of Southern Maine will host the Northern New England Science Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. The event will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, February 28, on the Gorham Campus, and is co-sponsored by USM and National Semiconductor. It is one of many regional competitions leading up to the National Science Bowl, to be held April 29 - May 3 in Washington, D.C.

The event was created by the U.S. Department of Energy in the early '90s to encourage high school student involvement in math and science activities. Teams of four to five students compete in a round-robin forum, answering questions on topics ranging from astronomy to environmental science. The Northern New England regional competition will include four teams from Maine and twelve others from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The winner of this year's regional competition will receive an all-expenses paid trip to compete for the national title in Washington D.C. Amy Sinclair, a reporter with WGME News Channel 13, is expected to be moderator for the USM event, and U.S. Senator Susan Collins has been invited to present the winners' trophies. The event is free and open to the public.

Senator Collins Applauds Senate Passage Of Highway Transportation Bill
Maine Will Receive $1.169 billion Over 6 Years in Transportation Funding

Washington, DC-- Senator Susan Collins is applauding Senate passage of a highway spending bill that will provide an increase in funding for Maine's federal highway transportation projects. In addition to a change in the formula used to calculate how many dollars each state will receive-a change that will benefit Maine-the legislation includes several proposals that were coauthored by Senator Collins. In addition to increasing overall transportation spending to $1.169 billion over the next 6 years for Maine, a 33 percent increase, the bill includes a provision authored by Senator Collins that will provide funding for ferry boat and ferry terminal facilities and it includes a Snowe-Collins proposal to fund projects that maximize air quality and congestion relief.

Highlights of the highway authorization bill are as follows:

--Maine would receive $1.169 billion over six years in overall spending, a 33 percent increase from the last highway reauthorization bill.
--The Murray-Collins Amendment, which authorizes $120 million funding for ferry boat construction and ferry terminal facilities. This would help provide critical access to areas that are not well-served by other modes of surface transportation.

--The Snowe-Collins Amendment to fund projects that maximize air quality and congestion relief. This will allow the Downeaster to extend its use of Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program (CMAQ) funding for an additional two years.

--The Levin-Collins Amendment to provide $200 million in funding for borders, which would provide funding for projects such as the Calais-St. Stephen Bridge project. Senator Collins has worked to bring to fruition a new facility at the Calais-St. Stephen border crossing. This bill could provide Maine with $29 million in funding for border transportation projects.