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$454,099 to upgrade Russell School

Gray--The State of Maine requires all School Departments to create a 10-year Capital Asset Renewal plan and submit it to the State. In order to complete the renewal plan, the SAD 15 needed to learn the current condition of their buildings. They hired the James W. Sewell Company, an engineering firm, to evaluate all SAD 15 buildings in terms of condition and what work will be required in order to keep them in good functioning condition. Each facility, building, or asset is ranked in terms of deficiencies and necessary improvements on a priority scale.

$454,099 to upgrade Russell School
Excerpted from the Sewell Report
Replacement value: $2,933,399
The building has three sections, the original area built in 1948, an addition in 1960, and a second addition in 1968. The building section is noted by the year of construction.

The five most expensive items are:
$84,006 for windows and trim (1960)
$72,570 for windows and trim (1968)
$27,852 for windows and trim (1948)
$24,662 to insulate boiler room pipes (1968)
$24,657 for boiler and chimney work (1948)

All items listed by priority are:
$48,633 currently critical
$82,997 potentially critical
$250,635 necessary but not yet critical
$0 recommended
$71,834 does not meet code

MDOT To Begin Work On Us Route 202 In Gray-New Gloucester

Drivers using US Route 202 in Gray and New Gloucester can expect to encounter construction work zones from late April through mid-May, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

"We're going to be improving almost nine miles of roadway in Gray and New Gloucester," explains Joseph Darling, MDOT's construction manager for the project. "The project area begins about one-quarter mile east of the Colley Hill Road near the Legion Hall in Gray and extends east for 8.8
miles, ending just south of the New Gloucester-Auburn town line."

Darling says plans call for shimming or leveling the existing the roadway and roadside shoulder, then putting down a new paved surface. He says the current schedule calls for installation of signs and other preparation work between now and the end of April, paving the shim or leveling course the first week in May, and paving the final surface the week of May 10-14 th.

He says drivers can expect one-lane traffic at times, with minor delays.
He urged drivers to use care approaching and driving through the work zone. "It's not the time for drivers to be talking on cell phones, applying make-up, shaving or reading the morning newspaper," he says. "It's a time for concentrating on the task of driving through a work zone with people and equipment in the roadway. It's for the driver's own safety as well as the safety of our workers."

The contract for the project, awarded to Blue Rock Industries of Westbrook, ME on a bid of just over $631-thousand, calls for completion of all work on the project by early June.

Rep. Allen Announces $6,785,311 in FAA Grants to Maine, Including $5 million for Jetport Runway

Funds will also purchase snow removal equipment and finance projects at Knox County and Sanford regional airports

Washington, D.C.-U.S. Representative Tom Allen announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded grants totaling $6,785, 311 for projects in Maine.

The Portland International Jetport will receive a $5 million discretionary grant toward the reconstruction and extension of a runway and will also receive a $450,000 discretionary grant toward an update of the airport's master plan. The State of Maine will receive a $614,111 entitlement grant plus a $321,200 discretionary grant for a total of $935,311 to purchase snow removal equipment for various general aviation airports around Maine.

Knox County Regional airport will receive a $300,000 discretionary grant also toward an update of the airport's master plan. Sanford Regional airport will receive a $100,000 entitlement grant to purchase snow removal equipment.

Model Building Code Bill Becomes Law
Senator Hall's Measure Will Simplify Construction

AUGUSTA- Senator Christopher Hall, D-Lincoln County, Wednesday attended a bill signing ceremony where Governor Baldacci signed LD 1025 "An Act To Ensure Uniform Code Compliance and Efficient Oversight of Construction in the State" into law. The bill directs communities who adopt building codes to adopt statewide standards. Supporters of the bill said that it would be a great boon to architects, builders, and consumers.

The new law will go into effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session.

News from the Maine Senate Majority Office
Senate Passes Supplemental Budget

AUGUSTA-Democrats in the Maine Senate last Thursday morning passed the $160 million 2005 Supplemental Budget by a party-line vote of 18-17. The vote followed final enactment by members of the House Wednesday evening.

For the past several weeks, lawmakers from both parties worked hard to reach consensus on the most challenging budget balancing pieces of legislation of the 121st Legislative Session. The efforts started early in March when members of the Legislature's Appropriation's Committee worked hard to redesign the Medicaid system to find cost savings and greater efficiencies without hurting the states most vulnerable citizens.

Lawmakers were very sympathetic to the more than 1,000 plus people who showed at a public hearing at the Augusta Civic Center-people who would have faced serious cuts to programs as the bill was originally proposed.
These cuts included services to persons with brain injuries, strokes, and other serious health problems.

While there was broad support for restoring these cuts, it was Democratic members in the House and Senate who secured final passage of a balanced budget that restored many of the cuts.

Senator Mary Cathcart, D-Penobscot County, who is the Senate chair of the Appropriations Committee, lobbied hard to add new monies for the Baxter Compensation Fund. The fund goes to compensate victims who had been physically and sexually abused by staff at the school decades ago.
The Senate Democrats were pleased to learn that the governor signed the budget soon after the Senate enacted it.

FMI go to the Democrats' website, www.mainesenate.org